Description

This course engages students in the study and use of research design tools for the analysis of social phenomenon, including the use of “big data.” Topics to be addressed include: how the scientific method relates to a practice of establishing the validity of propositions and the role that analytics can play in that process when the observations are vast and varied; how the validity of systematic patterns in data are assessed as well as how spurious or biased patterns in the data are ruled out; and how the scientific method can guide the use of exploratory techniques. Through the course, students will learn to develop innovative research designs in an effort to improve the analyses used with social data and how to present these analyses to nontechnical audiences, such as non-profits, employers, and the general public.