03383 - Social Statistics

Learning outcomes

The course deals with basic topics concerning the methodology and technics of socio-political empirical research.

The course gives to the participants a wide introduction to the basic tools which are necessary to implement a quantitative analysis of real phenomena, with a double aim: to develop the student skills of interpretation and critical evaluation of statistical information and to ensure the knowledge of the essential methods allowing the production and elaboration of well-organized statistical data

Students will acquire knowledge and skills useful for the comprehension of the main data collection designs, the critical evaluation of data displayed in socio-political empirical research, as well as the skills needed for producing basic (univariate, bivariate and multivariate) statistical analyses.

Course contents

Structure of the data Matrix.

Official Statistics

Basic concepts and main techniques of monovariate descriptive statistics (mode, median, mean, quantiles; eterogeneity and variability measures),

Frequencies, graphic representations.

Statistical data sources.

Data transformation (standardization, index).

Historical and territorial series.

Basic concepts and main techniques of bivariate descriptive statistics: relation between variables (statistical dependence, anova, covariance, correlation).

Introduction to multivariate statistics.

Sampling techniques and issues.

Basics of inferential statistics.

Sampling designs and probability distributions. Hypothesis testing.

Readings/Bibliography

P. Corbetta, G. Gasperoni, M. Pisati, Statistica per la ricerca sociale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2001 (chaps. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10).

E. Giovannini, Scegliere il futuro. Conoscenza e politica al tempo dei Big Data, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2014.

Slides used in class and material that can be freely accessed on-line from the Unibo "Virtuale" website).

Teaching methods

Face-to-face lessons and periodic exercises.

Assessment methods

The exam is administered in exclusively written form.

The students who attend the course can participate in a procedure of evaluation during the course period. It consists in two tests based on exercises and multiple-choice questions.

The only valid mark is the one achieved in the most recent attempt to pass the exam.

Each student is personally responsible for his/her registration in the exam session on AlmaEsami. Registration closes 5 days before the exam. Therefore, it is not possible to sign up for the exam in the previous 5 days before the exam.

Students who change their minds must withdraw their registration no later than the 5 days before the exam.

Teaching tools

Face-to-face lessons, periodic exercises, slides

Office hours

See the website of Valerio Vanelli