soc sci 3a

Jim’s Contact info ∙ email: [email protected] ∙ phone: 949.824.5691 ∙ office: 4169 SSPA

SOC SCI 3A Research Computing in the Social Sciences About the Course:

Number: SOC SCI 3A (70050) Title: Research Computing in the Social Sciences Quarter: Spring 2013 Meeting Time: T-Th 2:00-3:20pm Meeting Place: Social Science Lab, Room 270 See a Map (Search for Building #202) Special Info: This course is a requirement for the Social Sciences Final Exam Time: Final Exam Thursday, June 13 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (SSL 270) About the Instructor:

Name: Dr. James R. Hull Email: [email protected] Phone: 949.824.5691 Office: Social Science Plaza A, Room 4169 Education: Ph.D., Sociology, U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Fun Fact: Jim has lived in 4 U.S. states: MI, NC, RI, CA

About the Teaching Assistants:

Name: Steve Doubleday (email: TBA) Office Hours: Location and Time TBA Fun Fact: Fun fact TBA Name: Paulos Lakew (email: TBA) Office Hours: Location and Time TBA Fun Fact: Fun fact TBA

http://www.uci.edu/campusmap/

mailto:[email protected]?subject=10A:


Office Hours:

TAs: Drop-In: TBA Jim: By Appointment: Monday 11:00-12:20 pm Drop-In: Wednesday 4:00-6:00pm Finals Week Only: (special place and time TBA)

“I have a question…” Great! • Check the syllabus before emailing • Check with fellow students before emailing

o The Course Message Board is designed to facilitate this very thing • For substantive questions, check for an answer online • Satisfied 1-3 without finding an answer? Check with your helpful TA • Your TA will forward unanswerable questions to me • Still feel the need to email me directly? Is it urgent and life-altering? Okay, then, take a chance…

Email Etiquette:

• Whether emailing your TAs or your professor please use their preferred method of address o You have my permission to use either Dr. Hull or Jim as you feel comfortable

• Please put “3A:”at the start of the subject line in emails or your email will be lost for certain • Sign your full name, particularly if you expect us to know who you are and what it’s about • Please allow a reasonable 24 hours for an email response, 48 over the weekends • Most responses will be much quicker than this, but please be patient with us


Registrar Issues:

Drops and Adds: You are responsible for your own drops and adds. Please take care of these through WebReg, StudentAccess, or the Registrar’s Office. For complete information, please see: Official Registrar’s Drop Add Policy

Key Deadlines: Drop without approval: Friday of WEEK 2

Drop and avoid a “W” grade: Friday of WEEK 6 Add without approval: Friday of WEEK 3

Audits? No. Students must be officially registered to attend Waitlist: Waitlisted students will be added automatically by the Registrar’s office if seats

become available

Academic Honesty:

A study of over 4200 undergraduates at 99 schools determined that 55 percent of students had never cheated on an exam and 42 percent had never cheated on written work (McCabe, Treviño, and Butterfield 2001). That leaves a lot of room for improvement! Among schools with “honor codes” these numbers jumped to 70 percent and 58 percent. That’s one reason we will use an honor code in conjunction with UCI’s existing policies on academic honesty. The honor code is simple. It is a short document that each of you will sign at the start of the semester, Then, each time you submit a major assignment, you reaffirm your commitment to the code by writing out the statement, “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment” and signing your name (*). I will remind you in the directions for each assignment. It’s that simple. The basic text of our class honor code derives from Appendix VIII of the UCI Academic Senate Manual. You should take time to read this document carefully, and view the reports at http://honesty.uci.edu/. Let’s work together to keep our class “honesty percentage” at 100! (*) Students having religious or moral objections to making such a pledge should arrange to speak with me in person during the first full week of class.

http://www.reg.uci.edu/enrollment/adc/adcpolicy.html

http://www.senate.uci.edu/senateweb/default2.asp?active_page_id=754

http://www.senate.uci.edu/senateweb/default2.asp?active_page_id=754

http://honesty.uci.edu/


Course Texts:

There will be no text for purchase this quarter. Supplemental resources will be available from a variety of online sources to assist learning. ***Additional Readings may be assigned. These will be provided via Dropbox one week in advance (two for students using DSC and CAM).

Course Website:

Over the course of the semester, we will rely heavily on UCIs in-house EEE system and related tools. Specifically, we will utilize the following: 1. Course Website – announcements, general info, official schedule

2. DropBox – distribution and collection of notes, homework, etc.

3. Quizzes – we will rely heavily on in-class online assessment

4. SignupSheet – this tool will enable you to make appointments

5. Podcasts – view prerecorded lectures prior to arriving in class

6. Survey – help me learn more about you and your learning needs

7. Evaluation – your opportunity to provide useful feedback

8. MessageBoard – this tool will be vital for asking questions in class

9. GradeBook – Use this to keep track of your progress

There are even more tools than what we will use. Do explore them all!

Use of TurnItIn:

At your instructor’s discretion, the services provided byTurnItIn.com may be utilized to help ensure that all students are submitting only original work in keeping with the honor code pledge that they signed.

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE

Students agree that, by taking this course, all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin service is subject to the Usage Policy posted on the Turnitin.com site.

For more information, please visit www.turnitin.com/

http://www.turnitin.com/


Some Ground Rules for Class:

• Have respect for yourself and for your fellow students • We start and end class on time: come late and you will miss quizzes and iClicker responses • Remember to turn off or silence phones and other gizmos • Check the website regularly for updates, assignments, grades, etc. • The Course Announcements Section of EEE will be the primary system for quick changes • Check email regularly. I will use email only for important things • Respect discussion guidelines and other rules adopted by the class

In short, be a good citizen and always treat classmates with respect

Special Needs:

If you require special arrangements for testing, readings, assignments, or other aspects of the course, please contact the UCI Disability Services Center. Their website has detailed instructions on the procedures to follow to qualify and register. Official notice from DSC is required before accommodations will be made. Please also contact me within the first two weeks of class to discuss these arrangements.

Writing and Study Help: UCI provides numerous resources to assist students in developing their maximum potential as writers. I suggest that you utilize these services, even if you feel assured that you are already a consummate wordsmith. In particularly egregious cases, I reserve the right to require you to use LARC or the Peer tutors programs as a condition of passing the course.

Campus Resources: Writing & Library Research Peer Tutors – help with writing & research Learning and Academic Resource Center – help with academic skills Social Sciences Academic Resource Center – help with career planning

http://www.disability.uci.edu/

http://www.writing.uci.edu/peertutors.html

http://www.larc.uci.edu/

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/ssarc/


What is this Course About? British author Arthur C. Clark is renowned for writing 2001: A Space Odyssey (both the book and the screenplay to Stanley Kubrick’s famous film). But Clark is perhaps even more famous for a set of three eponymous (sharing his name) Laws, one of which was this: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (Clarke 1962). In this course, we will explore technologies employed every day in the social sciences and some that are quite specialized. A few of these technologies may appear magical indeed to you, while others will likely be more mundane, pedestrian even. But each serves a common set of purposes – to save time, to reduce errors, to amplify our voice and our message, to simplify and to streamline everyday tasks – in short, to make us more efficient, effective learners, doers, and teachers. A technology that does not improve our lives or work is not much of a technology. Any that does is a potential subject for our further study in this course. So, the material will change year to year, but this criterion stands firm.

What are the General Objectives of this Course? 1. TO LEARN: To learn thoroughly the best principles and practices for efficient use of

computers as an aid and a help in the process of research 2. TO PRACTICE: To develop solid, marketable skills in a broad set of research computing

areas 3. TO THINK: To think critically and use evidence-based reasoning when discussing and

writing 4. TO REMEMBER: To cultivate independent learning skills that will serve you beyond the

classroom walls

What Will You Get Out of this Course? I have two major goals for you as a student.

• First, I want to help you find reasons to learn more about research computing technologies. Important reasons. Reasons that matter to you.

• Second, I do not simply want to teach you software packages, terminology, and the like. I want to show you how to learn about these things, with or without my guidance.

Above all else, this will require you to learn how to evaluate your own work objectively and diagnose your own strengths and weaknesses as a learner. This will allow you to continue to learn long after our class is done. With these two things in hand, desire and skill, you will be prepared for a lifetime of careful, reflective study of whatever it is you truly care about. For believe me, there is no area of life that has not received the studied attention of a curious social researcher. Or will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(novel)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eponymous


How Can You Succeed in this Course?

1.) Participate actively in class and discussions Learning information is only the first step in acquiring real knowledge and wisdom. In order to hone the higher-level thinking skills that are required to function successfully in today’s global society, you must practice them, and to gain practice, you must come to class and engage with others. Students who participate learn more, on average, than those who observe passively (Cross 1987).

2.) Read assigned books, chapters, and articles Reading is the root of scholarship. In order for your mind to grow, you must fertilize it with provocative ideas, facts, and information. Before we can get to the meaning of what we have read as a group, each of you must do your part. Reading may sometimes seem slow and old-fashioned, but at present there is no substitute.

3.) Prepare for class If there is an assignment due, please submit it by the deadline. Plan ahead to ensure that they are completed on time even in the face of technical glitches. Good time management is a requirement for present and future success.

4.) Contact me with questions I am here to help you learn. Although not all college instructors share my view, I believe the teacher-student relationship extends beyond basic course content to include study skills, time management, critical thinking, reading, writing, and analysis. You are among the best and brightest students, but few of us can do without some improvement in one or all of these areas. Also, I hope you will be challenged by this class, but none of you should have to struggle. Please contact me with questions of all types. For simple questions that are not answered here, the quickest way to get an answer is to email me at [email protected].

5.) Visit me during office hours For more challenging questions, you should visit drop-in office hours or make an appointment for more intensive focus. Making an appointment is easy, so please do it. You should learn to view office hours as an extension of class. I have found that many students are unaware of the tremendous learning opportunities that this individualized instruction provides. Here are some reasons you might want to stop in

• Ask for an explanation of an idea that you did not understand in class • Suggest a different way for me to teach some aspect of the material • Discuss difficulties with assignments, classroom activities, or assessments • Brainstorm ideas or topics for assignments and projects • Have a conversation about a shared topic of interest • Alert me to special learning concerns or needs that you may have • Get suggestions and strategies for improving study habits

mailto:[email protected]


Evaluation and Grading

1.) Components of grade Assessment of your performance in this class will be based on regular in-class quizzes, exercises and activities, the lab portion of class, a paper, and a final exam:

In-Class Assignments (approximately 20) * 30% Lab Assignments (1 per week)* 30% Midterm Evaluation* 10% Final Paper or Project* 10% Final Exam* 20%

Total 100%

(*) The above is an approximation provided to inform you of my general grading strategy. Final grades will roughly reflect these general proportion; specific contributions may differ. 2.) Grading Scale I grade according to what is called a standard of excellence system, and do not use relative, or comparison grading in my course. This means that everyone who does “A” quality work will receive an “A” and so on. At the end of the term, you will receive a grade based on the following scale: A+ ≥ 96.5 > A ≥ 93.5 > A- ≥ 90.0 B+ ≥ 86.5 > B ≥ 83.5 > B- ≥ 80.0 C+ ≥ 76.5 > C ≥ 73.5 > C- ≥ 70.0 D+ ≥ 66.5 > D ≥ 63.5 > D- ≥ 60.0 > F 3.) Grade descriptions: The descriptions below are provided as a courtesy to clarify the meaning of grades: “A” Mastery of course content at the highest level of attainment that can reasonably be expected of students at a given stage of development. The A grade states clearly that the students have shown such outstanding promise in the aspect of the discipline under study that he/she may be strongly encouraged to continue. “B” Strong performance demonstrating a high level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The B grade states that the student has shown solid promise in the aspect of the discipline under study. “C” A totally acceptable performance demonstrating an adequate level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The C grade states that, while not yet showing unusual promise, the student has shown intellectual development. “D” A marginal performance in the required exercises demonstrating a minimal passing level of attainment. A student has given no evidence of prospective growth in the discipline; an accumulation of D grades should be taken to mean that the student would be well advised not to continue in the academic field. “F” For whatever reason, an unacceptable performance. The F grade indicates that the student's performance in the required exercises has revealed almost no understanding of the course content. A grade of F should warrant an advisor's questioning whether the student may suitably register for further study in the discipline before remedial work is undertaken.


Make-up Work and Special Circumstances Please do not schedule appointments, trips, association meetings, or other activities during class time – it is only 4 hours a week with the lab. If you do so, you run the risk of missing out on one of our many in-class assignments. Examinations and papers can only be made up with medical documentation or other valid excuse at the instructor’s discretion. If you are celebrating a recognized religious holiday or absent on official University business you will be allowed to make up missed work. To be fair to other students, you must give notice of any planned absence at least one week in advance and turn in any quizzes or assignments due on the day of the absence IN ADVANCE of that day. You will find that I am quite flexible if made aware of your upcoming absence ahead of time, and conversely, quite inflexible if notified after the fact. If you have questions about a particular set of circumstances, contact me as far in advance as possible and we can discuss solutions.

** CAREFULLY READ BELOW AND HEED IT** From time to time, I encounter students who state that they need to achieve a certain grade in my course for any number of reasons (graduation requirements, honors and scholarships, sports eligibility, etc.). In fairness to all students, I will NEVER give special consideration to these types of circumstances in assigning final grades for the course. Do not ask. That being said, I also recognize the importance of grades to all students and the additional pressures that such requirements may place on you. If you foresee finding yourself in such a situation, please bring this to my attention promptly at the beginning of the semester. I will do what I can to assist you in crafting a personal plan to work toward a specific grade in my course. But only you can determine the final outcome. I will meet individually with any student to discuss: 1.) progress and performance, 2.) general strategies to succeed in my class, 3.) specific mistakes on quizzes, exams, homework, or other assessments, and solutions.

Policy on Disputing Grades

All queries about specific grades for individual assignments or for past quarters must be presented in writing, with a detailed description of the alleged error and a justification of your response if necessary, before we can proceed. This written statement should be emailed to me, and followed up by making an appointment. I do not discuss grading matters via email ever. These discussions must be face-to-face.


Detailed Descriptions of Course Elements

A.) “Quizzes” and in-Class Activities

This class is not frozen in time. It moves, it changes, and it responds. It’s about you and technology, and just like technology, change can happen quickly in this course. How can we remain flexible yet predictable?

Here’s my answer. You will have a graded assignment every time you come to lecture. It will often be an iClicker task or tasks. Do what is asked of you and you’ll get the points for that day. Other days, we may use some other method of tracking participation – there are lots. Group assignments, quick writes, response pieces, games, bring one thing activities, and many more. You will always have adequate notice of any class activities requiring advance preparation, which will be seldom.

Normal preparation – reading, thinking, and working to solve assignments will suffice most days. If you are present and engaged, you have little to worry about. The purpose of all these activities is to build better engagement with the topic and to utilize additional sensory channels to transmit information. To engender positive affect toward to the topic, which has been shown to enhance retention of information, and many other positive outcomes.

And yes, always bring your iClicker.

The net result of this approach is that most of you should receive very good grades on this portion of the course grade. But if you find that you are performing poorly on the in-class activities, you should schedule a time to meet with your TA or me to discuss options for improving.

B.) Labs

For the lab portion of the course, you will be conducting guided research activities using the lab computer facilities on campus These will help you to further develop and practice your skills as a research producer and a data consumer.

Labs are assigned Sunday nights or occasionally Monday nights. They are due Thursday of the same week at Midnight. In the interim are two lab sessions. Attend both and make use of the opportunity to learn in the group setting. If attendance falls off in lab sections, I reserve the right to impose a “participation incentive program” that will have some additional bearing on your grade.

C.) Midterm Evaluation

Your midterm will not be a traditional, in-class or online exam. It will be some form of assessment that allows me to observe the development of your “technological poise” and your ability to utilize diverse research tools to perform common research tasks in the real world. What this means in practical terms is that the midterm will likely be a take-home of some type, with a fairly open window during which you will be allowed to complete the evaluation online via EEE. More info to follow.


D.) Research Paper or Project

Here is the default topic, so that you have time to ponder it:

What impact has technology had upon the way that we conduct, evaluation, communicate, discuss, share, think about, recall, learn about, plan, and monitor the research process?

You will choose a minimum of two major research tools (with approval) and compare their differential impacts on the research process, highlighting both benefits and detriments.

The paper is to be of moderate length (to be defined explicitly in the paper description) and will be a “nth level draft,” – your very best writing, edited, re-edited, and re-re-edited. Like to write things the night before? If so, try telling yourself the paper is due tomorrow. Get started now.

Students who write exceptional papers will have the opportunity to submit their work for online publication in one or more venues (more on that to follow).

If class size permits, and on a per-student basis, I will consider alternate proposals for projects that demonstrate these same skills in an alternative format. The typical instance is a traditional research proposal that specifically furthers your career plans. It’s at my discretion. Please speak with me if this option interests you.

E.) Final Exam

The final exam will be cumulative, covering the breadth of material from the semester, but will emphasize major ideas and not focus on the recall of minor details. Students will be permitted various aids to memory, subject to approval by the instructor. More information on the final will be provided in advance.


A Note on Formatting of Written Work

Unless otherwise specifically requested, any written assignments to be turned in for this class should be typewritten in a standard font such as Times, Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond, Georgia, etc. (no mono-spaced fonts), 12 point, with 1-inch margins all around. The final paper should be double-spaced, all other work may be single-spaced.

All final papers should have a COVER SHEET including your full name, the title of the paper, your ID number, and the honor code pledge with your signature (when requested). All other pages of the paper should have ONLY your ID number at the top of each page and page numbers at the bottom. The reason is so that I can grade your work fairly and impartially. Before beginning, I will fold over the cover sheet and grade each paper anonymously. In the event that the cover sheet gets separated, having an ID number on each page will prevent mix-ups. Students who attempt to turn in papers with incorrect formatting will be asked to reformat them before the paper will be accepted. Deadlines will remain in force.

Other Questions?

I have tried to include answers to the most commonly asked questions in these pages, but you may have others, either those specific to your circumstances, or of general interest to the entire class. Please contact me in the ways described in this document for more information.

References: Clarke, Arthur C. 1962. “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination” In Profiles of the Future: An Enquiry into the Limits of the Possible (1962, rev. 1973), pp. 14, 21, 36. Cross, K. Patricia. 1987. “Teaching for Learning.” AAHE Bulletin, 39(8): 6. Jenkins, Andrew, Anna Vignoles, Alison Wolf, and Fernando Galindo-Rueda. 2003. “The

determinants and labour market effects of lifelong learning,” Applied Economics 35(16): 1711-1721.

McCabe, Donald L., Linda Klebe Treviño, and Kenneth D. Butterfield. 2001. “Cheating in Academic Institutions: A Decade of Research.” Ethics & Behavior 11(3): 219–232.


Hull’s Course Schedule for SocSci 3A: *** This version will give you an idea. For the current version, consult the online course schedule ***

Number Date Subject Objectives

1.1 Introduction and Course Overview 1.) Learn about the broad objectives of this course

2.) Establish a baseline of what you know already about computing

3.) Share with me a little bit about your background and aspirations

1.1L LAB: The Imprint of Technology on Research 1.) Review 3 examples of the breadth of research computing tools

1.2 A Sampling of Basic Terminology 1.) Establish a baseline for what you know about research computing terminology

2.) Compile a list of common terms that we will use over the quarter

3.) Share what you already know with your fellow classmates

1.2L LAB: Course Basics and Lab Operations 1.) Acquaint yourself with all class policies stated in the syllabus

2.) Familiarize yourself with the Class Honor Code

3.) Learn and Demonstrate Proficiency in Submitting Assignments to Dropbox

2.1 Citations: Attribution and Honesty 1.) Discuss the values and reasons underlying the norm of attributing sources

2.) Discuss famous episodes of plagiarism in the past decade

3.) State core principles of attribution and list practical steps to avoid unintentional plagiarism

2.1L LAB: APA Style and Paraphrasing 1.) Practice paraphrasing in order to avoid unintentional plagiarism

2.) Study and use the APA style of formatting a works cited page

2.2 Notes: Your Best Defense against Offense 1.) Study the core components of thorough, complete notes

2.) Critically evaluate your own note-taking style against this standard

3.) Describe technologies, tools, and tactics for better note-taking

2.2L LAB: Bibliographic Management Software 1.) Learn and demonstrate proficiency with bibliometric management software

2.) Use Zotero to store and format references


3.1 Better Searches for Better Research 1.) Explore advanced search capabilities in various search engines

2.) List common search engines used in conducting research and their capabilities

3.) Describe the general role of internet searches in the broader research process

3.1L LAB: Google Powersearching 1.) View Google Powersearch videos

2.) Practice conducting better Google searches

3.) Solve advanced search problems by constructing complex queries

3.2 Thinking about the Web of Science 1.) Explain what bibliometrics is and what its uses are

2.) Think about ways in which you could utilize this web structure to become a better researcher

3.) Discuss potential blind spots in the research process created by the "information age"

3.2L Conducting Efficient Full-Text Searches 1.) Demonstrate effective use of Full-text search engines

2.) Find articles supporting and opposing an argument

3.) Locate publications listed on an individual's C.V.

4.1 Online Identity Management 1.) Define online reputation management and explain why it is increasingly a part of all job seekers’ repertoires

2.) Identify elements of your own personal brand that you might wish to improve upon

3.) State the basic elements of any resume and identify the particular elements for resumes in your own field

4.1L LAB: Researching Resume Advice 1.) Use targeted search techniques to obtain high-quality general resume advice

2.) Use targeted search techniques to obtain high-quality resume advice specific to your intended field

3.) Submit this resume advice to a collective class research summary

4.2 Advanced MS Word Tips 1.) Learn techniques you can use to improve the visual impact of your resume and other documents in MS Word

4.2L LAB: Honing your Resume 1.) Use the advice that you found via search to enhance and hone your field-specific resume

2.) Use advanced formatting when appropriate to enhance the visual impact of your field-specific resume

3.) Convert your resume to a portable document format


5.1 Web Publishing Best Practices 1.) List basic elements of web design best practice and good usability

2.) Identify the core structure of any html page and the basic tags common to all html pages

3.) Develop an individualized approach to learning html that works for you

5.1.L LAB: HTML 1 - Directories, Tools 1.) Demonstrate familiarity with fundamental best practices for web publishing

2.) Practice working with html tags by raw/hard coding a simple personal site in html

3.) Learn how to control basic function and behavior of web pages in a variety of browsers and settings

5.2 HTML Best Practices 1.) Describe the use and function of all basic and more advanced html tags covered in class

2.) Demonstrate how to incorportate tables, images, and other objects into a page

3.) Explore advanced concepts in web design

5.2L LAB: HTML 2 - Building Your Page 1.) Continue working to build a personal page and online resume

2.) Apply more advanced html techniques to your pages if you'd like

3.) Begin adding additional markup to your code to prepare for CSS next week

6.1 Style Sheet Basics 1.) Articulate the manner in which CSS and HTML interact to produce the user experience

2.) Discuss the concpet of page/paper architecture and how it differs from page/paper style

3.) Demonstrate how CSS code is written and referenced and write a simple style sheet

6.1L LAB: HTML 3 - CSS 1.) Learn the basic structure and relationship between HTML and CSS

2.) Use CSS to style and control the look and feel of the HTML pages you designed last week

3.) Produce a pair of pages marked up with HTML and the accompanying CSS to demonstrate what you’ve learned

6.2 CSS Best Practices 1.) Study examples of common css syling elements that support best practices

2.) Continue to refine your own definition of web publishing best practices

3.) Learn how to "go live" on the web should you desire to publish your pages

6.2L LAB: HTML 4 - Polishing CSS 1.) Continue refining the style sheets that determine the look of your html pages

2.) Produce a clean, well-formated, error-free set of two pages and two style sheets


3.) Think about other applications of the communications skills you learned over the past two weeks

7.1 Research Tools Potpourri 1.) Cloud Computing and Remote Storage Tools

2.) Google Alerts, Journal Alerts, RSS, and other tools for staying current

3.) Calendar tools and other apps for organizing and bringing together people

7.1L LAB: Midterm 1.) Midterm Review and Assistance

7.2 Efficiency Tools Potpourri 1.) Email Filtering and other communications efficiency tools

2.) Online to-do lists and other personal efficiency software

3.) Tools for unplugging and un-cluttering your very busy life

7.2L LAB: Midterm 1.) Midterm Review and Assistance

8.1 Collecting Data 1.) Demonstrate how to use Google Forms and other online interfaces to gather data

2.) Discuss data storage formats and how to input a wide array of data sources into MS Excel

3.) Convert between different data storage formats and discuss methods for quality control

8.1L LAB: Working with Data 1.) Create a Google form for the collection of data

2.) Download and convert a wide variety of data formats for use in MS Excel

3.) Use a data conversion tool to modify the storage format of data files

8.2

1.) Define the concept of metadata and discuss is significance in data management

2.) Read and edit a simple dataset metadata file

3.) Describe core standards for data documentation in the social sciences

8.2L LAB: Documenting Data 1.) build a simple xml metadata file to accompany a dataset

2.) Clean an uploaded dataset and bring it into line with the DDI standard

3.) Download data from the ICPSR DSDR and other online social data warehouse

9.1 Advanced MS Excel 1.) Favorite formulas

2.) Activating and using the data analysis tab


3.) Tips and tactics for maximizing your MS Excel skills

9.1L LAB: Advanced MS Excel 1.) Pivot tables

2.) Using the data analysis tab

3.) Demonstrate techniques from class for saving time on common tasks in Excel

9.2 SPSS 1.) Identify and explain the purpose of each separate SPSS window

2.) Demonstrate the basic capabilities of SPSS

3.) Learn how to copy just-run syntax from the output window, modify, and run again

9.2L LAB: Working in SPSS 1.) Import a range of data formats into SPSS for further processing

2.) Use SPSS for basic data description purposes

3.) Generate simple tabular and graphical output using SPSS

10.1 Communication Tools 1.) Explain how to create and use templates in MS Powerpoint

2.) Demonstrate basic and intermediate techniques for putting together slide shows

3.) Discuss best practices in visual communication and presentation

10.1L LAB: Powerpoint Presentations 1.) Create a personal PPT template to be used to format your own presentation

2.) Put together a brief presentation which summarizes the ideas in your final paper

3.) share this presentation with your classmates when it's finished

10.2 Working with Images 1.) Describe the significance of graphics to the research process

2.) Demonstrate how to create and edit graphics from a variety of original sources

3.) Discuss data storage formats and their comparative strengths and weaknesses

10.2L LAB: Graphics and Image Standards 1.) Scan photos and upload them to your presentation

2.) Edit scientific graphics using a free photo editor and save in a variety of formats

3.) Read and interpret a set of graphical publication standards and format graphics to match

11.FINAL SEE COURSE WEBSITE FOR ALL INFO 1.) Demonstrate your knowledge of the full suite of research skills covered this quarter

soc sci 3a

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