MY551A Half Unit
Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Sally Stares
Availability
This course is available on the MPhil/PhD in Demography (Social/Formal), MPhil/PhD in Health Policy and Health Economics, MPhil/PhD in International Relations, MPhil/PhD in Management - Information Systems and Innovation, MPhil/PhD in Social Policy, MPhil/PhD in Sociology, MRes in Accounting (AOI) (Accounting, Organisations and Institutions Track), MRes in Management (Employment Relations and Human Resources), MRes in Management (Marketing), MRes in Management (Organisational Behaviour) and MRes in Political Science. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission.
The course is available to all research students.
This course is not controlled access. If you register for a place and meet the prerequisites, if any, you are likely to be given a place
Requisites
Mutually exclusive courses:
This course cannot be taken with MY551W at any time on the same degree programme.
Course content
An intensive introduction to quantitative data analysis in the social sciences. The course is intended for students with no previous experience of quantitative methods or statistics. It covers the foundations of descriptive statistics and statistical estimation and inference. At the end of the course students should be able to carry out and interpret a range of data analysis techniques, from univariate and bivariate descriptives to multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression at an introductory level. The seminars and computer exercises give 'hands-on' training in the application of statistical techniques to real social science research problems using the R computer package (no prior knowledge of R is necessary).
Teaching
20 hours of lectures and 9 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
2 hours of lectures in the Spring Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
The course runs twice per year: in AT (MY551A) and again in WT (MY551W). The content of the course, and the method of assessment, is exactly the same in each term.
Formative assessment
Self-guided computer exercises to be completed before weekly classes for discussion and a weekly online quiz.
Indicative reading
A course pack will be available for download online. Additional reading: many introductory statistics books are available. But we particularly recommend Alan Agresti and Christine Franklin (2009) Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data. Pearson Education. Or Alan Agresti and Barbara Finlay (2009, 4th edition) Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences. Pearson Education (note that the second book is more advanced and is particularly useful if you are planning to take MY551 and MY552).
Assessment
Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Key facts
Department: Methodology
Course Study Period: Autumn and Spring Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 8
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 7
Average class size 2024/25: 1
Controlled access 2024/25: NoCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.