This course develops skills in research design for policy analysis and planning. The emphasis is on the logic of the research process and its constituent elements. The course relies on a seminar format so students are expected to read all of the assigned materials and come to class prepared to discuss key themes, ideas, and controversies. Since the materials draw broadly on the social sciences, and since students have diverse interests and methodological preferences, ongoing themes in our discussions will be linking concepts to planning scholarship in general and considering how different epistemological orientations and methodological techniques map on to planning specializations.

Social psychologists are interested in the ways that other people affect thought, emotion, and behavior. To explore these concepts requires special research methods. Following a brief overview of traditional research designs, this module introduces how complex experimental designs, field experiments, naturalistic observation, experience sampling techniques, survey research, subtle and nonconscious techniques such as priming, and archival research and the use of big data may each be adapted to address social psychological questions. This module also discusses the importance of obtaining a representative sample along with some ethical considerations that social psychologists face.

The resource consists of a Java applet and expository text. The applet illustrates the distribution of the sample mean of a random sample from a given distribution. The sample size and the sampling distribution can be specified. The applet illustrates the central limit theorem.

Students will explore sampling variability in the sample means of different random samples of a population, using data on Internet access from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

1). Identify the sampling method used in a study and discuss its implications and potential limitations.
2). Critically evaluate the reliability and validity of results published in mainstream media.
3). Summarize and describe the distribution of a categorical variable in context.

The information gained through the study of disease in populations which will be increased if more members of the population are sampled. However, the sampling of every individual in a population is rarely feasible from either a logistical or an economic perspective (except in the case of very small-scale studies). Censuses are a form of descriptive study which aims to systematically collect information about every member of the population of interest (the source population), and are carried out in many countries for both livestock as well as for humans (although information regarding disease may not be collected). Statistical surveys are another type of descriptive study, which aim to select a sample (known as the study sample) from the source population, with the intention of extrapolating the information about these individuals to the source population. Similarly, in most analytic studies, a sample of the population must be selected for the same reasons.

This course provides a solid theoretical foundation for the analysis and processing of experimental data, and real-time experimental control methods. Topics covered include spectral analysis, filter design, system identification, and simulation in continuous and discrete-time domains. The emphasis is on practical problems with laboratory exercises.

Statistical thinking is a way of understanding a complex world by describing it in relatively simple terms that nonetheless capture essential aspects of its structure, and that also provide us some idea of how uncertain we are about our knowledge. The foundations of statistical thinking come primarily from mathematics and statistics, but also from computer science, psychology, and other fields of study.

A general statistics course, which includes understanding data, measures of central tendency, measures of variation, binomial distributions, normal distributions, correlation and regression, probability and sampling distributions, Central Limit Theorem, confidence intervals, estimates of population parameters and hypothesis testing. Interpretation and data analysis are emphasized.

In this statistics project, students will begin by sampling a population to answer their own designed question.  They will then use their sample to graph, find the mean and standard deviation, and illustrate their understanding of normal distribution.  They will then manipulate their data to make it "normal" and, after finding new samples, analyze the associated z-score and percents of that new data.

Activity introduces students to the concept of sampling distributions and point estimates, and to how the accuracy of point estimates are affected by sample size.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"EnvironmentalDNA capture is helping researchers do the seemingly impossible: track the numerous plants and animals that call natural waters home. But fishing for so-called eDNA can be precarious work. Each step of the process, from water sampling to DNA detection, is a point of entry for contaminants or of loss for sample material. Now, a new standard could be in the making. Self-preserving and partially biodegradable, this new filtration system eliminates data-compromising steps from eDNA capture while ensuring long-term sample preservation and generating less plastic waste. In standard eDNA collection, a motorized or hand-powered pump is used to force a water sample through a DNA-capturing membrane. The filter housing is then opened and, using sterilized forceps, the membrane is carefully transferred to a vial. Finally, ethanol is added to preserve the captured eDNA while its transported to a lab for sequencing or PCR detection..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.