Preface
Chapter 1: Measuring Political, Social and Economic Conditions
Chapter 2: Measuring Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Chapter 3: Statistical Fallacies, Paradoxes and Threats to
Validity
Chapter 4: Examining a Relationship: New York City Crime Rates
Chapter 5: Tabulating the Data and Writing about the Numbers
Chapter 6: The Graphical Display of Data
Chapter 7: Voting and Elections
Chapter 8: Measuring Educational Achievement
Chapter 9: Measuring Poverty and Inequality
Gary M. Klass teaches public policy, race and ethnicity, and quantitative research methods at Illinois State University. He is past president of the APSA Computers and Multimedia Section and co-editor of the Political Science Research and Teaching List.
This short book is a useful supplement to traditional statistics
and research method texts....Recommended.
*CHOICE*
In Just Plain Data Analysis, Gary Klass analyzes simple statistics
that involve sophisticated reasoning. This book cuts through
paradoxes, fallacies and socially-constructed statistics to uncover
the basic elements of data analysis. A must-read for anyone
interested in statistical literacy.
*Milo Schield, director of the W. M. Keck Statistical Literacy
Project, Augsburg College*
As a teacher of research methods, I have been waiting for a book
like Just Plain Data Analysis. By focusing on finding, presenting
and interpreting data, Klass encourages students to develop the
critical thinking skills that they will need once they leave the
university. The writing is clear and the examples are excellent.
The discussion of reliability, validity, and ecological fallacy is
the best I have read in an undergraduate text. The many table and
chart examples will help students improve their skills.
*Bill Wilkerson, College at Oneonta, SUNY*
With humor and political balance, Just Plain Data Analysis offers a
pithy guide to finding, presenting and interpreting social science
data ranging from crime to elections. Recommended for students,
teachers and policymakers who want to understand where the data
comes from and how to use it responsibly.
*Mark Maier, author of The Data Game: Controversies in Social
Science Statistics*
Just Plain Data Analysis: Finding, Presenting, and Interpreting
Social Science by Gary M. Klass is an exploration of the types of
quantitative research (which is rooted in data and statistical
analysis) that can be used to draw conclusions about such social
science issues as crime rates and measuring educational
achievement. Klass uses examples of statistical claims to
demonstrate how changing the time frame for data collection or
looking at different correlations can result in varying or
misleading statements. He also has chapters to how to tabulate and
display numbers and how to use graphical presentation
effectively.
*American Libraries*
Ask a Question About this Product More... |