introduction to spss RESEARCH METHODS & STATISTICS HANDBOOK PHẦN 8 pot

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Introductory Module: Statistics & Methods Timetable

Module Code: PSYC640

Module Level: MSc

No. of Credits: 30

Course Convenor: Dr. Laurence Alison

Teaching Staff: Dr. Alison, Prof. Canter, Dr. Lovie, Dr. Downes, Dr.Stott

This module is designed to refresh students‟ memories of basic principles of research design

and to introduce some basic concepts and ideas to students unfamiliar with such material. It

will also prepare students for some of the more complex material to be covered in semester 2

(advanced statistics) as well as introduce them to the range and breadth of qualitative

approaches available for research. The central aims of this module are to demonstrate

different approaches and perspectives on research design, statistics and qualitative methods

and illustrate the benefits of an awareness of these different perspectives.

Students should be aware that the majority of their learning should occur outside of

the lectures, where approximately 1 hour of lecturing equates to 6 hours independent study

time. During these periods students will be required to work on projects, collect materials for

research and prepare reading for subsequent lectures. Students should consult with their

respective supervisors with regard to project proposals and the onus is on the student to

develop a project in consultation with their chosen supervisor. Supervisors available include

Dr. Alison, Dr. Lovie and Dr. Stott, although students are encouarged to „team‟ up with

potential PhD supervisors and other members of staff. Dr. Alison should be the first point of

contact in this regard.

Lectures start at 11.00 and finish at 12.00 on Wednesday mornings and begin on 2nd

October, 2002. The last lecture in this module will be on 11

th December. Most lectures are

followed up by a practical. Practical sessions occur on a Thursday afternoon at 14.00 and last

approximately 2 hours. For many of these sessions you will be given data that you can work

with outside of the practical session so that you may practice analysing the material and

familiarising yourself with SPSS. The prupose of these sessions is to give you hands on

experience of working with data, in preparation for your first assignment and as a means by

which you can gain some confidence to handle more sophisticated statistical procedures in the

advanced statistics module. Assessments (handing in of the assignment and taking the short

question and answer exam) will occur in the first two weeks of term, thereby enabling

students plenty of time for revision and for completion of their assignments. A short statistics

handbook will be provided at the start of the course and students should also take advantage

of the web based statistics helper "statistics for the terrified" available through the computer