Universität Wien

240072 UE MM1 - Methods of Quantitative Research in Development Studies (2020S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 09.03. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Monday 23.03. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Monday 20.04. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Monday 04.05. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Monday 18.05. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Monday 08.06. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Monday 22.06. 09:00 - 12:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This is an introduction to applied statistics. The main goal of the course is for students to develop the necessary foundations and skills to implement quantitative empirical research independently. Students are required to make "hands-on" applications of the material studied in the course.

Due to the current corona crisis, as of the Easter break we will replace physical-presence meetings with webinars where we will discuss the course's materials uploaded in moodle.

Assessment and permitted materials

Students will be marked according to 3 different homeworks (20% each) and a final project (40%). Failure to hand in any of these implies a negative evaluation of the course.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students should prove a good command (at least 50%) of each topic of the course.

Examination topics

There are no exams. The course’s main topics are descriptive statistics, probability, random variables, inference, regression analysis.

Reading list

The course has been prepared with

Newbold, Carlson and Thorne (2013): Statistics for Business and Economics, Pearson, 8th edition. (NCT)

Other introductory statistics textbooks are likely to provide very similar treatments.

Many examples have been borrowed from the following (rather entertaining) books:

1. Charles Wheelan (2013): Naked Statistics. Stripping the Dread from the Data, W.W. Norton.

2. Leonard Mlodinow (2008): The Drunkard'S Walk. How Randomess Rules Our Lives, Pantheon Books.

3. Nate Silver (2012): The Signal and the Noise. Why So Many Predictions Fail, But Some Don't, Penguin Books. 
I. Introduction

William Easterly (2009): "The Anarchy of Success," The New York Review of Books, 56(15), October.

II. Descriptive statistics

NCT: Chapters 1 and 2.

III. Probability

NCT: Chapter 3.

IV. Random variables

NCT: Chapters 4-6.

V. Inference

NCT: Chapters 7-10.

VI. Regression Analysis

NCT: Chapters 11-13.

Miguel Niño-Zarazúa (2012): “Quantitative Analysis in Social Sciences: A Brief Introduction for Non-Economists,” manuscript, WIDER.

Association in the course directory

MM1

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:21