Learning objectives:

• Understand the principle of statistical inference
• Understand the meaning of significance levels
• Understand the meaning of alpha and beta errors
• Develop an awareness of the misuse and abuse of data in the media

Lecture:

• Homework week 11: Read the required literature (see below)
• Required reading week 11:
  • Agresti, A. and B. Finlay (2008) Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Chapter 5 and 6
  • Lomax, Richard G. and Debbie L. Hahs-Vaughn. 2012. An Introduction to Statistical Concepts, 3rd edition. Routledge. Sections 6.1. - 6.4.
  • Kellstedt, Paul M. and Guy D. Whitten. 2013. The Fundamentals of Political Science Research, 2nd edition. Cmbridge University Press. Chapter 6 and 7

Seminar:

• Homework week 11:
  • Read the required literature (see below)
  • Find one newspaper article which manipulates numbers to its advantages, and prepare to give a short presentation.
• Required reading week 11:
  • Blastland, Michael and Andrew Dilnot (2007) The Tiger That Isn't: Seeing Through a World of Numbers, London: Profile.