Quantitative Approaches

3-7 July 2012

Shawn Treier, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota
John Ahlquist, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison

This workshop aims to introduce participants to quantitative methods in the social sciences, and several of the leading data sets in US social science.

Workshops will consist of a seminar in quantitative methods each morning, each day focusing on a specific method (e.g., the analysis of categorical data, regression, statistical graphics, generalized linear models, writing quantitative research papers). In the afternoon, students will present their own research and receive feedback from the instructors and the seminar, and be introduced to key US data sets in the social sciences (e.g., the American National Election Studies, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth).

This workshop is best suited to post-graduate students, PhD students and early career researchers in political science, sociology, economics, business, and related fields.

Pre-requisites: Introductory statistics class covering elementary data analysis, statistical inference and hypothesis testing (eg topics covered in such classes typically include inference for the sample mean, two-sample t tests, analysis of 2-by-2 tables, tests of association). Previous exposure to regression analysis will not be assumed nor required.

Presenters

Shawn Treier is Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota and received his PhD from Stanford University. His research interests include the US Constitutional Convention and American Political Development, the US Congress, political behavior and public opinion, and Bayesian measurement models. His work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Political Analysis, Public Opinion Quarterly, and American Politics Research.

John Ahlquist is Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as a research associate in political economy at the US Studies Centre. Ahlquist maintains active research interests in political economy and statistical methodology. Current research projects include work on international trade networks, understanding the causes and consequences of politically mobilised labour unions and the role of risk in the development of social insurance policies. His work has appeared in the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, Comparative Political Studies and International Studies Quarterly, among other journals.