PP 480 - Nature of Inquiry: Quantitative Research in Social Sciences

The main goal of this course is to introduce students to interpreting and collecting data to answer social science questions. With respect to interpretation, students will learn how to define correlations and causal effects. This overview will include an introduction to the idea of regression and the basics of design-based causal inference. With respect to collecting data, students will survey fundamental concepts of measurement, field data collection (including surveys and the role of qualitative data), and content analysis. By the end of the course, students should understand 1) how to find and describe relationships in quantitative data, 2) interpret findings in cutting-edge social science research, and 3) design a data collection plan for their own research ideas. PP 480 is the class equivalent as INST 489.
Units: 4
Course Type: Seminar