SCLG3702: Semester 2, 2023

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Units SCLG3702 Semester 2 2023 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

SCLG3702: Social Inquiry: Quantitative Methods

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit enables students to acquire skills in a range of quantitative research methods in the social sciences. They learn about censuses and surveys as foundational methods of quantitative research, then move to statistical analyses of quantitative data. No prior university-level mathematical training is assumed, though a basic grasp of simple algebra acquired through upper-level study of maths at high school is expected.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	SCLG3702
Academic unit	Sociology and Criminology
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	SCLG2632 or SCLG3603
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Sociology or 12 credit points of (HSBH1003 or OCCP2087 or OCCP2088 or OCCP2085 or OCCP1097 or OCCP1096) or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Criminology
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Salvatore Babones, salvatore.babones@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final project in lieu of formal exam Research project involving the acquisition and analysis of real-world data	40%	Formal exam period Due date: 13 Nov 2023 at 23:24	2000 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research Report 1 Research report based on methods learned during Weeks 2-5 of class	30%	Week 06 Due date: 04 Sep 2023 at 23:59	1250 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research Report 2 Research report based on methods learned during Weeks 6-10 of class	30%	Week 12 Due date: 23 Oct 2023 at 23:59	1250 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Assessments will be set in Canvas at least two weeks prior to their due dates.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

As per faculty and university policies

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and basic spreadsheet skills	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Essentials of formal demography	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Introduction to social demography	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Univariate descriptive statistics	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Scatterplots and the international data infrastructure	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Correlation and standardized regression	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Simple linear regression and expected values	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Multiple linear regression	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Statistical significance and the quest for causality	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Regression tables	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	"t" tests and "ANOVA"	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Interaction models and mixed models	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Introduction to data structures and machine learning	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Although there is no set text for this unit, additional support on social statistics can be sourced from the coordiantor’s free Wikibook at:

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Social_Statistics

Other readings and videos will be set every week in Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand how social science data is created
LO2. utilise social science data to make arguments
LO3. understand how social scientists use data in applied settings.
LO4. become self-directed in the acquisition and use of data
LO5. apply social science data to real-world social problems

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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