Studying at York
Applied Quantitative Analysis - POL00080H
- Department: Politics and International Relations
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
- Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
Module summary
AQA provides an introduction to quantitative methodology and gives students experience in applying these methods to answer questions about social and political phenomena. Through lectures and computer-based lab sessions, students will learn about the theory and implementation of quantitative methods in the social sciences.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
AQA develops students’ ability to ask and answer general research questions based on empirical observation. A robust understanding of statistics and its pitfalls gives students a profound understanding of quantitative information as it is (mis-)used across daily news and social media. Beyond making them knowledgeable consumers of statistics, the module also makes students confident producers of statistics and equips them to create, manage, and visualise large quantities of data. Students learn to discern patterns and analyse their validity and generlisability, significantly enhancing their skill set in conducting political science research. It also substantially contributes to their later employability in research institutes, (non-)governmental organisations, finance, insurance, marketing, and other industries. The module will provide sufficient knowledge of quantitative research tools for students to be able to use them in extended written work including dissertations.
Module learning outcomes
On completing this module a student will be able to:
Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of using quantitative methods in political research (PLO 1).
Understand the assumptions underlying causal and statistical inference (PLO 1).
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different statistical tools (PLO 2).
Be able to independently produce and interpret univariate and multivariate statistics, both numerically and graphically (PLO 3).
Independently select and apply quantitative research tools in their research and to justify conclusions (PLO 3).
Module content
3h of weekly contact time: 1h lectures and 2h computer-based lab sessions.
This module requires students having taken Politics core module“Research Design” in their second year, enabling them to reflect on causal processes and operationalise theoretical concepts.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will receive written timely feedback on their formative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s feedback and guidance hours.
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 20 working days; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s regular feedback and guidance hours.
Indicative reading
Kellstedt/Whitten (2013) “The Fundamentals of Political Science Research”
Llaudet/Imai (2022) “Data Analysis for Social Science: A Friendly and Practical Introduction”
Huntington-Klein (2021) “The Effect: An Introduction to Research Design and Causality”
Baglione, Lisa. 2020. Writing a research paper in political science : a practical guide to inquiry, structure, and methods. Washington: CQ Press.
Imai, Kosuke. 2017. Quantitative Social Science. Princeton: PUP.