Data analysis and statistics

The increasing availability of data allows to analyse several issues related to social, labour and organizational dynamics. The course aims to introduce the logic of theory-driven statistical analysis in social research, providing useful tools for data manipulation, exploratory data analysis, statistical test, categorical data analysis, and regression.
The course consists of both theoretical lessons, where the main statistical techniques are introduced, and empirical lessons, where techniques are empirically implemented (learning by doing). Lessons are coupled with 20 hours of lab, aiming to consolidate the topics of the classes and to work on the students' final research.

At the end of the course, students will be able to conduct multivariate analyses and to apply the basic principles of statistical inference. Moreover, students will be able to use the statistical software STATA and to conduct autonomously a research project, with the aim of informing conclusion and supporting decision-making. Finally, students will be able to interpret scientific contributions based on statistical multivariate analysis, considering both the potentials and the limitations of data analysis.
In detail, students will:
- collect data and enter their own datasets for analysis;
- identify appropriate statistical methods;
- conduct their own analysis using the software program STATA;
- interpret the results of the data analysis;
- check the assumptions on which each analysis depends and make appropriate adjustments or select alternative methods of analysis.