Department of Sociology
College of Liberal Arts
Texas A&M University
(2024 Spring) SOCI 420 – Advanced Methods of Social Research
– Course information
Time: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:20–11:10am
Location: Harrington Education Center Classroom Building (HECC) 201, campus map
Canvas website:
https://canvas.tamu.edu/courses/281910
I will utilize Canvas to write announcements to students, receive assignments, quizzes and exams, and post grades.
– Instructor details
Ernesto F. L. Amaral
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Phone: (979)845–9706
Email: amaral@tamu.edu
Office hours: https://tamu.zoom.us/my/amaral
I will provide office hours by appointment. Students must request appointments by email at least 48 hours in advance. When you enter this Zoom session, you will be placed in a waiting room. I will add you to the chat after I finish talking to the previous student.
– Teaching assistant 1 (TA1) information
Anthony Jackson
Graduate Student, Department of Sociology
Email: ajackson@tamu.edu
TA1 in-person office hours: Wednesday, 2–4pm, Liberal Arts Social Sciences Building (LASB) 338
TA1 Zoom office hours: Anthony will also provide office hours by appointment. Students must request appointments by email at least 48 hours in advance.
– Teaching assistant 2 (TA2) information
Paul Scholes
Graduate Student, Department of Sociology
Email: scholesp2@tamu.edu
TA2 in-person office hours: Tuesday, 10am–2pm, Liberal Arts Social Sciences Building (LASB) 324.
TA2 Zoom office hours: Paul will also provide office hours by appointment (Calendly). Students must request appointments at least 48 hours in advance.
– Assignments, quizzes, and final exam
Submit on Canvas. Look for exact dates in the syllabus and on Canvas.
Assignments: Details about each assignment are provided on this course website.
Quizzes and final exam: Students should read instructions about online quizzes and the final exam in the syllabus before starting them on Canvas.
– Lectures, Stata codes, and other materials
Introduction
Lecture 1
The Joy of Stats with Professor Hans Rosling
from Gapminder
Statistical software
Stata code 1
Basic descriptive statistics & Survey weights
Lecture 2a: Basic descriptive statistics
Lecture 2b: Survey weights
Material in Excel
Excel: Example of person-years and article about rates and probabilities
Excel: Examples of charts
Statistical software
Stata code 2
Measures of central tendency
Lecture 3
Statistical software
Stata code 3
Measures of dispersion
Lecture 4
Material in Excel
Excel: Examples of measures of central tendency and dispersion
Statistical software
Stata code 4
The normal curve
Lecture 5
Material in Excel
Excel: Examples of normal distribution
Statistical software
Stata code 5
Summary of inferential statistics and hypothesis testing
Summary of lectures 6-9
Introduction to inferential statistics
Lecture 6
Estimation procedures
Lecture 7
Statistical software
Stata code 6-7
Stata code (append different years)
Hypothesis testing: One-sample case
Lecture 8
Statistical software
Stata code 8
Hypothesis testing: Two-sample case
Lecture 9
Statistical software
Stata code 9
Summary of bivariate associations
Summary of lectures 10-13
Analysis of variance
Lecture 10
Statistical software
Stata code 10
Chi square
Lecture 11
Statistical software
Stata code 11
Bivariate associations for nominal- and ordinal-level variables
Lecture 12
Statistical software
Stata code 12
Bivariate associations for interval-ratio-level variables
Lecture 13
Statistical software
Stata code 13
Ordinary least squares regression
Lecture 15
Excel file with different logarithm functional forms
Excel file with formatted OLS models and predicted values
Statistical software
Stata code 15
Extra – Elaborating bivariate tables
Lecture 14
Statistical software
Stata code 14
– Assignments
Rubrics for all assignments
Assignment 1
Instructions
Assignment 2
Instructions
Assignment 3
Instructions
– Examples of tables and figures
PDF file
Papers
Drafts
– The General Social Survey (GSS)
GSS resources for this course
Material (course.zip)
GSS official website
Site
GSS Data Explorer
Site
– Stata licenses
Instructions for Accessing Stata Through the Virtual Open Access Lab (VOAL)
Texas A&M University
VOAL Instructions
Student Short-Term Stata License (free for a maximum of one week)
Site
Student Single-User Stata License (lower prices)
Site
– Stata Resources
Stata: Data Analysis and Statistical Software
Resource links
Institute for Digital Research and Education (IDRE)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Stata material
Carolina Population Center (CPC)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
Introduction to Stata
Generalized Linear Latent And Mixed Models (GLLAMM)
Stata Programs for estimating, predicting, simulating
Stata extra modules
Material
Material about graphs in Stata
Stata twoway bar command
Stata graphics by Dawn Koffman
Stata extra graphics programs
Stata color codes
– COVID-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)
Our World in Data
Site
Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases
Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE)
Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
Site
COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
Worldometer
Site
Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak
The New York Times
Site
COVID Community Vulnerability Map
Jvion – Prescriptive Analytics for Preventable Harm
Site
Resources about demography and COVID-19
Population Europe
Site
Sex, gender and COVID-19
Global Health 5050
Site
– U.S. Census Bureau
Census Bureau
Official website
Site
Explore U.S. Census Bureau Data
Data.census.gov
What is data.census.gov?
Explanation about transition from American FactFinder
Site
American Community Survey (ACS)
Official website
Site
American Community Survey (ACS)
Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)
Site
Current Population Survey (CPS)
Site
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
Site
Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program
Site
Migration/Geographic Mobility
Site
County-to-County Migration Flows
Site
Census Flows Mapper
Site
TIGER/Line Shapefiles
Site
Demographic Analysis and Population Projection System (DAPPS)
Site
Quick Facts about the United States
Site
– Demographic resources
The DHS Program
Demographic and Health Surveys
Site
Family Inequality
Demographic facts your students should know cold in 2018
Site
Population Pyramids
Site
Population
Science special issue
Site
Population Connection
America's Voice for Population Stabilization
Site
Rob J. Hyndman – Monash University, Australia
Demography: Forecasting mortality, fertility, migration and population data
R package
Site
Coherent population forecasting using R
Site
Applied Demography Toolbox
Department of Demography
University of California Berkeley
Site
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS)
Minnesota Population Center (MPC)
University of Minnesota
Site
Population Division
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations
Site
Population.io
The World Population Project
Site
The Pudding - Human Terrain
World's Population in 3D
Data from the Global Human Settlement Layer
Site
Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Site
Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Data
Site
Population and Poverty Research Network (PopPov)
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Site
European Social Survey (ESS)
Site
Eurostat - Your Key to European Statistics
Site
– Mortality data sources
The Human Mortality Database
Site
– Fertility data sources
The Human Fertility Database
Site
Human Fertility Collection
Site
– Migration data sources
World Migration Map
Site
Foreign-Born Population: A Nation of Overlapping Diasporas
Digital Scholarship Lab
University of Richmond
Site
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Site
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Tool to generate graphs of countries of birth for U.S. immigrants, 1960-Present
Site
Mexican Migration Project (MPP)
Princeton University & University of Guadalajara
Site
Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS)
Iberoamerican University (UIA)
Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE)
Duke University
Site
The New Immigrant Survey
Princeton University
Site
Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX)
Site
– Resources about refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Site
Syria Regional Refugee Response
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Site
Syrian Refugees Project
Migration Policy Centre (MPC)
Site
Asylum Quarterly Report
Eurostat Statistics Explained
Site
REACH - Informing more Effective Humanitarian Action
Site
– Other microdata and surveys
Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan
Site
Health and Retirement Study (HRS)
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan
Site
American Life Panel
RAND Corporation
Site
World Values Survey
Site
Latinobarómetro: Opinión Pública Lationamericana
Site
Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)
Site
Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES)
Site
– Aggregated-level data
Gapminder: Unveiling the beauty of statistics for a fact-based worldview
Site
Videos
World Bank Data
Site
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Data
Site
World Wealth & Income Database
Site
Opportunity Insights
Site
National Vital Statistics System
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Site
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
Data Visualizations
Site
Pew Research Center Data
Site
Global Attitudes & Trends
Pew Research Center
Site
OXFAM - The Power of People Against Poverty
Site
Doctors without Borders
Site
Brookings Institute
Site
– Academic associations
American Sociological Association (ASA)
Site
Population Association of America (PAA)
Site
American Political Science Association (APSA)
Site
American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
Site
– Sources for literature review
Web of Science
Scientific citation indexing service
Site
JSTOR (Journal Storage)
Digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources
Site
American Journal of Sociology
Site
American Sociological Review
Site
Annual Review of Sociology
Site
Science Direct
Source for scientific, technical, and medical research
Site
PubMed
Citations for biomedical literature, life science journals, and online books
Site
– Public-opinion polls
RealClearPolitics
Political news and polling data aggregator
Site
FiveThirtyEight
Statistical analysis about elections, politics, sports, science, economics and culture
Site
