SUNY College at Buffalo
Sociology 301: Social Statistics
Spring Semester 2013 Syllabus

Dr. ZHANG Jie

Course Call No.:  1953
Class Place:          Classroom Building C104
Class Time:          1:40pm - 2:55am, TR
Office Location:   Classroom Building B312
Office Phone:       878-6425
Office Hours:       4:20 - 5:20pm, TR or by appointment
Email:                   zhangj@buffalostate.edu

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

      This course will examine the basic logic and meaning of data analysis strategies commonly used in social science research. The emphasis is on understanding the procedures and results rather than on mathematical theories, although some computation is necessary. By the end of the course, students will have some basic knowledge and skills in quantitative methods for social science research through participation in analysis of data using the computer. According to the Undergraduate Catalog, prerequisites for this course include Soc 100.

TEXT AND TOOLS

Krieg, (Luke) Eric. 2012. Statistics and Data Analysis for Social Science. Allen & Bacon.

In addition to the above textbook, you need to have an email account with the Buffalostate Server and a portable calculator. The instructor's email address is zhangj@buffalostate.edu. Some course related information such as study guides and this syllabus is available on the course's website http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/zhangj.

EXAMINATIONS

      There will be four major exams, three during the course and one final exam. All will be given in the classroom on the days indicated on the course schedule. Each of the first three exams will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions and two essay questions that are aimed at knowing how well you have mastered the material up to that point. The final has 80 multiple-choice questions plus four essay questions and is comprehensive on all the material covered in the semester. In each exam, most items will be directly from the lectures, and the rest from the textbook. You will be provided with a study guide on the courses’ website http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/zhangj prior to each exam.

     No early exams are allowed for any reason. If you have to miss an exam, you need to provide me before the exam with some written document as your excuse. If you want to make up the missed exam, it may be available on the last day of classes. As the instructor, I reserve the right to refuse any make-ups not approved in advance and to give you a "0" for that test. In other cases, even if the make-up was approved in advance, I reserve the right to reduce your score for that test by 10 to 15 points if your reasons and/or the documentation are not satisfactory.

HOMEWORK

     After each chapter, you should finish the homework that accompanies the chapter and turn it in before the beginning of the next chapter. Each homework consists of four essay questions and a computer assignment that may be done in the computer room CLAS C114 and turned in separately on computer printouts. Although the homework is not graded, accomplishing each one is critical for better performance on the tests. Late submission of a home work will not be accepted or reviewed.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

     The relationship between you and me is based on mutual respect. My job is to teach the course by making it interesting and easy to understand. Your duties as students include reading the textbook, attending classes, taking notes, participating in classroom discussion, taking exams, and turning in homework. Classroom courtesy is expected of everyone in the class. Coming late or leaving early, talking without permission from the instructor, reading newspapers or other materials, doing homework, sleeping, text messaging, and packing up before the instructor dismisses the class, etc. are not courteous behaviors in the classroom.

ATTENDANCE AND CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION

     A good or perfect attendance record, productive participation, and courteous behaviors in classroom will help you improve your final grade. You are discouraged to miss classes. However, there are no points deducted from your final score if you have missed two or less classes in the semester. From the third class you have missed, each one will cost you three percent of your final score (final percentage). Coming late or leaving early is also discouraged. If you have committed to this class this semester, do not schedule anything, such as doctor’s appointment, academic advisement, etc. for the class time. Each coming late or each leaving early will be counted as 1/2 missing. As for missing classes, you do not have to present to me any excuses. All students are treated equally. For these purposes, you are asked to sit through the semester at the same place you chose at beginning, and the class roll is taken in each class period.

GRADING

The final course grade will be based on 280 possible points:
Exam #1 = 60    Exam #2 = 60    Exam #3 = 60    Final = 100

Grades will be assigned using the following percentage scale:

	A = 94 - 100	A- = 90 - 93
B+ = 87 – 89	B = 84 - 86	B- = 80 - 83
C+ = 77 – 79	C = 74 - 76	C- = 70 - 73
D+ = 65 – 69	D = 60 - 64
	E = 0 - 59

NOTE: The policies and schedule for this class are subject to change in accordance with circumstances that may change in the semester.

COURSE SCHEDULE

DAY	DATE		Topic	Chapter
Tue  Thu	Jan	29 31	Introduction to the Course Concept, Variables, and Measurement	handout 1
Tue	Feb	5	Computer applications
Thu		7	Statistics and sociology	1
Tue		12	Organizing and descriptions of data	2
Thu		14	Measures of central tendency	3
Tue		19	Presidents’ Day Observed
Thu		21	Exam #1
Tue		26	Measure of Dispersion	4
Thu		28	Variability	4
Tue	Mar	5	Probability	5
Thu		7	Normal distribution and z scores	5
Tue		12	Samples and populations	6
Thu		14	Exam #2
Tue		19	Cross-tabulation	7
Thu		21	Measure of Assoc for Categorical Var	8
Tue		26	Spring Recess (No Class)
Thu		28	Spring Recess (No Class)
Tue	Apr	2	t test	9
Thu		4	Analysis of variance	9
Tue		9	Multiple analysis of variance	9
Thu		11	Exam #3
Tue		16	Parametric and Non-parametric Tests	10
Thu		18	Chi-Square	10
Tue Thu		23 25	Correlation Partial Correlations	10 10
Tue		30	SPSS Practice	handout
Thu	May	2	SPSS Practice
Tue		7	SPSS Practice
Thu		9	Last Day of Class: Review
Tue	May	14	Final Examination (1:40pm-3:30pm)
Sat	May	18	Commencement