Student Resources

 
 

Toolbox for Statistics 2200 | Week 1 Assignment

Here you will find directions for our first week of class to set up the Citrix receiver, to log in and access the Stata software through Citrix, to download the General Social Survey data we will use for the course, to place the data in the correct drive, and to access that drive/data from Stata. You’ll also find directions for logging your activities for your portfolio. 

Tabulation | Week 2 Assignment

Here you will find directions for your assignment for week 2. You’ll be using Stata commands for the first time, and attempting to use these commands to produce some descriptive statistics about specific GSS Variables.

Descriptive Statistics & Imaging Data | Week 3 Assignment

Using the same variables we used last week, we’ll work with some new Stata commands. We will produce and interpret new outputs related to these variables and will begin to consider different ways to present similar information.

Correlation vs. Causation & Crosstabs 2.0 | Week 4 Assignment

This week we’ll revisit cross-tabulation to engage in more depth with correlation. We’ll begin to unpack the difference between correlation and causation and discuss how Stata can be valuable in making these distinctions. We will produce and interpret new outputs and enrich our descriptive toolbox.

Empirical Design, Reliability & Validity | Week 5 Assignment

This week, we’ll continue to work with some new descriptive commands in Stata, but we’ll begin to talk about strategically designing research questions, formulating hypotheses, and evaluating the reliability and validity of a study.

Week 6: Midterm Examination

Introduction to Inferential Statistics | Week 7 Assignment

This week we will select variables of interest which we will use for the second half of the semester. There is no formal assignment, but you should…

  • Select 12-15 variables from the GSS codebook (Some nominal, some ordinal/interval, and at least 2, but ideally 3 ratio variables), which you believe are interesting and theoretically related to one another.

  • Run some basic descriptive statistics (tab, sum, etc.) to familiarize yourself with the variables. Make sure that there are at least 1,000 observations on each of your variables of interest (some variables are measured for only a small portion of respondents and only have 30 or 40 observations. You’ll want many more responses than this. Include the syntax for these descriptives in a new Do File that you can return to in the assignments that follow.

  • Include in the Do File some notes about the variables (how they’re measured, how the prompt is administered to respondents, and what the punch numbers represent). Give yourself essentially a mini-codebook to work with.

  • Name this file FinalPortfolio.do, and add to it as the semester progresses. Each week, copy the relevant syntax from your weekly assignments into the final portfolio do file. This will make your last week of the course much simpler!

  • Access the GSS codebook HERE

Z-Tests & T-Tests | Week 8 Assignment

This week we’ll revisit our “mean testing” toolbox and build out skills for making inferential claims about population averages. You will learn how to perform z testing and t testing in Stata, and when these tests are appropriate or valuable.

ANOVA Testing & Factorial Analysis | Weeks 8 & 9 Assignment

In this unit, which leads up to your Easter break, we will spend a full two weeks covering some more challenging inferential statistical tools: ANOVA testing and factorial analysis. These will be more challenging than previous weeks and I strongly recommend that you begin this assignment early and use both weeks (and your break if necessary) to troubleshoot the assignment.

Week 10 | Group Presentations

Linear Regression & OLS Analysis | Week 11 Assignment

This week we will be learning how to implement and interpret linear regression in Stata! This is a commonly used statistical technique and one that makes the GSS dataset considerably more fun to play with. OLS analysis will be a significant portion of your final portfolio so pay close attention!

Chi Square & Non-Parametric Tests | Week 12 Assignment

This week is our LAST week of new content, and the last set of Stata skills you’ll workshop before heading into the final exam and assembling your final portfolio. We’ll be focusing on implementing and interpreting chi square analysis.

Final Portfolio | Week 13

You’ve completed all 10 modules! That means it’s time to integrate what you’ve learned and begin assembling your final portfolio. You will showcase the techniques you’ve learned in Stata and show off your ability to interpret these outputs meaningfully, to offer an argument about your choice variables.