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ECON 391M

Data Analysis for the Social Sciences (ONLINE)

Winter Session Term 1 2021/2022

Academic Calendar Entry

Examination of selected topics in current economic theory and/or policy. Topics vary each time the course is offered. With different topics, the course can be taken more than once for credit. Credits: 3

Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102

Course Description

Data analysis is the process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data, and systematically applying statistical and other techniques to discover useful information. This course is designed to provide data analysis skills to answer real-world questions of social, economic, and policy interest. Students will use Canadian microdata to answer specific research questions using tabular, graphical, and statistical analysis. Students will gain hands-on experience using Excel and R. This course will teach students how to analyze large data sets and present research findings in a compelling and professional manner.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students should be able to:

● Prepare survey data for analysis (download data from secondary sources, understand data documents, clean and recode data, etc.)

● Understand and use basic probability theory and statistics

● Conduct tabular, graphical, and statistical analysis of survey data to answer research questions using Excel and R

● Write a compelling and professional research report

Course Format

All lectures will be online. Wednesday lectures will be synchronous (i.e. live on Zoom) and Friday lectures will be asynchronous (i.e. pre-recorded videos available on Canvas), unless otherwise noted. Friday lectures and other materials will be posted on Canvas every week and will be available for the duration of the course. Attendance and participation in synchronous lectures are strongly encouraged.

Required Text

Krauth, B. (2021). Introductory Statistics for Economics. Available for free at: https://bookdown.org/bkrauth/BOOK/

Technology Requirements

Students are expected to have access to a functioning webcam and microphone, as well as a reliable highspeed internet connection. Additionally, students are required to have Respondus LockDown Browser installed on their computer. Information about this application can be found at: https://ctl-ok.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2019/10/How-to-take-a-quiz-requiring-RLDB.pdf

Evaluation

Assessment	Weight	Date
Quiz 1	10%	Sept. 17
Quiz 2	10%	Oct. 1
Quiz 3	10%	Oct. 15
Quiz 4	10%	Nov. 26
Midterm Test	20%	Nov. 3
Final Project	40%	Due Dec. 8

Quizzes will test students on material covered during the previous week’s lectures. They will comprise of multiple choice and/or short-answer questions. Students will be permitted to take the quiz for 24 hours. Once the quiz has begun, students will have 30 minutes to complete each quiz and submit solutions on Canvas.

The midterm test will be held on Wednesday, November 3 at the scheduled meeting time (9:30-11:00 AM PST). The test will be cumulative and will comprise of multiple choice, short-answer, and/or long-form questions. The test will be invigilated by the professor as well as a teaching assistant. Students must pass the midterm test in order to pass the course.

The final project will be a professional research report, minimum 8 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, normal margins. The report must be completed individually.

Students will answer a research question related to Canadian public policy using tabular, graphical, and statistical analysis. The final project is due by 11:59 PM PST on Wednesday, December 8. Evaluation of the final project will be based on the following criteria:

● Organization, structure, and writing: the report must include the following sections: introduction, summary of research question(s), description of data, description of methods, results, and conclusion; writing is clear, compelling, and flows well from section to section (30%)

● Integration of course knowledge: tabular, graphical, and statistical analysis from the course are included in the report; students demonstrate an understanding of these methods through the “description of methods” section (30%)

● Data analysis: the methods chosen are appropriate to answer the research question(s); data has been cleaned/recoded; no errors; results are presented clearly (30%)

● Spelling and grammar: little to no spelling or grammatical errors (10%)

Course Outline

Topics covered in the course are subject to change at the discretion of the professor. Supplemental reading materials and practice problems may be assigned in addition to the assigned reading listed below. Please check Canvas regularly for updates.

Dates	Topic	Assigned Reading	Important Dates
Week 1   Sept. 8 & 10	Course overview and introduction	Ch. 1
Week 2   Sept. 15 & 17	Cleaning data with Excel	Ch. 2	Quiz 1 Sept. 17
Week 3   Sept. 22 & 24	Introduction to probability theory
Week 4   Sept. 29 & Oct. 1	Introduction to random variables	Ch. 4	Quiz 2 Oct. 1 on Ch. 3, 4
Week 5   Oct. 6 & 8	More on random variables	Ch. 5
Week 6   Oct. 13 & 15	Analyzing data with Excel	Ch. 6	Will discuss final project
Week 7   Oct. 20 & 22	Introduction to data, sampling & statistics	Sec. 7.1, 7.2	Quiz 3 Oct. 22 on Ch. 5, 6
Week 8   Oct. 27 & 29	Estimation	Sec. 7.3, 7.4
Week 9   Nov. 3 & 5	Statistical inference	Ch. 8	Midterm Nov. 3 on Ch. 1-7
Week 10 MIDTERM BREAK
Week 11   Nov. 17 & 19	Cleaning data with R	Ch. 9, 10
Week 12   Nov. 24 & 26	Analyzing data with R	Ch. 11	Quiz 4 Nov. 26 on Ch. 8, 9, 10
Week 13   Dec. 1 & 3	Multivariate data analysis	Ch. 12
Final project due Dec. 8, 5 PM PST

Missed Graded Work

Students who, because of unforeseen events, are absent during the term and are unable to complete tests or other graded work, should discuss with their instructors how they can make up for missed work, according to written guidelines given to them at the start of the course (see Grading Practices). Instructors are not required to make allowance for any missed test or incomplete work that is not satisfactorily accounted for. If ill health is an issue, students are encouraged to seek attention from a health professional. Campus Health and Counselling will normally provide documentation only to students who have been seen previously at these offices for treatment or counselling specific to conditions associated with their academic difficulties. Students who feel that requests for consideration have not been dealt with fairly by their instructors may take their concerns first to the Head of the discipline, and if not resolved, to the Office of the Dean. Further information can be found at: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/okanagan/index.cfm?tree=3,48,0,0

My personal policy on missed graded work is as follows:

● Extensions for the final project may be granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the professor. Extensions must be requested at least 1 week before the due date. Failure to contact the professor in advance of the due date will result in a 5% deduction off the final grade for each calendar day that the final project is late.

● Makeup quizzes and tests may be grated on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the professor. Makeup quizzes and tests must be requested at least 48 hours before the quiz or test. Failure to contact the professor in advance of the due date will result in a grade of 0%.

In the case of extenuating circumstances (e.g. mental health, illness), please contact me as soon as possible and together we will determine a reasonable and fair resolution.

Grading Practices

Faculties, departments, and schools reserve the right to scale grades in order to maintain equity among sections and conformity to university, faculty, department, or school norms. Students should therefore note that an unofficial grade given by an instructor might be changed by the faculty, department, or school. Grades are not official until they appear on a student's academic record. Further information can be found at: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/okanagan/index.cfm?tree=3,41,90,1014

Academic Integrity

The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences. A more detailed description of academic integrity, including the University’s policies and procedures, may be found in the Academic Calendar at: http://okanagan.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,0.

Final Examinations

There is no final examination in this course. The examination period for Term 1 of 2021 Winter is from Saturday, December 11 to Wednesday, December 22 inclusive. Except in the case of examination clashes and hardships (three or more formal examinations scheduled within a 24-hour period) or unforeseen events, students will be permitted to apply for out-of-time final examinations only if they are representing the University, the province, or the country in a competition or performance; serving in the Canadian military; observing a religious rite; working to support themselves or their family; or caring for a family member. Unforeseen events include (but may not be limited to) the following: ill health or other personal challenges that arise during a term and changes in the requirements of an ongoing job.

Further information on Academic Concession can be found under Policies and Regulation in the Okanagan Academic Calendar: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/okanagan/index.cfm?tree=3,48,0,0

UBC Okanagan Disability Resource Centre

The Disability Resource Centre ensures educational equity for students with disabilities and chronic medical conditions. If you are disabled, have an injury or illness and require academic accommodations to meet the course objectives, please contact Earllene Roberts, the Diversity Advisor for the Disability Resource Centre located in the University Centre building (UNC 215).

Location: UNC 215

Phone: 250-807-8053

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.students.ok.ubc.ca/drc

UBC Okanagan Equity and Inclusion Office

Through leadership, vision, and collaborative action, the Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO) develops action strategies in support of efforts to embed equity and inclusion in the daily operations across the campus. The EIO provides education and training from cultivating respectful, inclusive spaces and communities to understanding unconscious/implicit bias and its operation within in campus environments. UBC Policy 3 prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of BC’s Human Rights Code. If you require assistance related to an issue of equity, educational programs, discrimination or harassment please contact the EIO.

Location: UNC 325H

Phone: 250-807-9291

Email: [email protected]

Web: equity.ok.ubc.ca

Health and Wellness

At UBC Okanagan health services to students are provided by Health and Wellness. Nurses, physicians and counsellors provide health care and counselling related to physical health, emotional/mental health and sexual/reproductive health concerns. As well, health promotion, education and research activities are provided to the campus community. If you require assistance with your health, please contact Health and Wellness for more information or to book an appointment.

Location: UNC 337

Phone: 250-807-9270

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.students.ok.ubc.ca/health-wellness

Student Learning Hub

The Student Learning Hub (LIB 237) is your go-to resource for free math, science, writing, and language learning support. The Hub welcomes undergraduate students from all disciplines and year levels to access a range of supports that include tutoring in math, sciences, languages, and writing, as well as help with study skills and learning strategies. For more information, email [email protected] or visit the Student Learning Hub’s website at: https://students.ok.ubc.ca/student-learning-hub/

Safewalk

Don't want to walk alone at night? Not too sure how to get somewhere on campus? Call Safewalk at 250-807-8076. For more information, see: www.security.ok.ubc.ca

Land Acknowledgement

I respectfully acknowledge the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples, in whose traditional, ancestral, unceded territory UBC Okanagan is situated.