This course covers quantitative methods in relation to policy-relevant research, specifically research design, data analysis, and interpretation. Particular attention is paid to computer-assisted data analysis using R.
Topics covered will include the research process, sampling, and sampling error, a range of statistical analyses (including correlations, chi-square tests, t-tests, regressions, and ANOVAs), and its application using R. We will also introduce the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large research database containing anonymised microdata about people and households, as well as the opportunities and issues its use presents for conducting policy-relevant research.