SYLLABUS

Statistics 36-303: Sampling, Surveys, and Society
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30--2:50 p.m.
Room: BH235A


 
 
Instructor:
Professor Stephen E. Fienberg 
Department of Statistics 
Office:  132G Baker Hall 
(412) 268-2723
e-mail:  fienberg@stat.cmu.edu
 Homepage:  http://www.stat.cmu.edu/~fienberg
Office Hours: MW, 11-12 am (or by  appointment)
Course Associate:
Amelia Haviland
Department of Statistics 
Office: A60M Baker Hall 
(412) 268-6932 
e-mail: amelia@stat.cmu.edu
Homepage:  http://www.stat.cmu.edu/~haviland
Office Hours: by  appointment
Course TA:
Marnie Bertolet
Department of Statistics 
Office: 229J Baker Hall 
(412) 268-7831 
e-mail: mhb2@stat.cmu.edu
Homepage:   http://www.stat.cmu.edu/~mhb2
Office Hours:  W 3:30-4:30pm, Statistics Lounge

 
 

Course Objectives:

1.    To gain an appreciation for the uses of sample surveys in American society;

2.    To learn the statistical properties associated with sampling from a finite population ;

3.    To learn about practical aspects of the design and implementation of sample surveys;

4.    To understand the nature of non-sampling and measurement errors in surveys and how to control their effects;

5.    To design, conduct, and analyze the results of a sample survey.

 
Prerequisites:


The course presumes knowledge of probability and statistics at a level covered in 36-201 and 36-202 (or their equivalent).  More specifically, students need to be familiar with the calculation of expectations and variances and the usual methods for inference including tests of significance and confidence intervals.

    Note: There will be a quiz during the second lecture on material covered in 36-201 and 36-202.
 

Required Texts:
 

Henry, Gary T.  1990.  Practical Sampling. Applied Social Research Methods Series.  Sage: Newbury Park, CA.  (Paperback).

Fowler, Floyd J., Jr. 2002.  Survey Research Methods.(Third Edition) Applied Social Research Methods Series. Sage: Newbury Park, CA. (Paperback).
 

Other Readings:
 

Readings will be assigned in class and most of them will be provided in advance.

 

Grading:
 

 
 
 
 Individual Homework Assignments: 20%
Team Project Assignments:  15%
Midsemester Examinations: 30%
Final Team Project Report: 25%
Final Project Presentation: 10%
 

 

Class Participation:
 

To successfully complete the course, students must attend class regularly.  It is imperative that classes begin promptly and that students be prepared for the class.  Students are expected to substantively contribute to class discussions with thoughtful comments and insights, as well as presenting oral reports on the progress of the team projects.
 

Policy on Cheating, Plagiarism, and Collaboration:

Part of the course requires students collaborate as part of a team.As part of this team collaborative effort, students are expected to document the portion of effort they feel that they and their collaborator(s) contributed to the project, the substance of the effort, and explicitly list all collaborators on a project (wether or not they are registered  in the course).  If a student takes credit for the work of others not listed as collaborators, then the student will not be allowed to pass the course.
 

For individual homework assignments and the two midsemester examinations your work is expected to be your own.  Students who plagiarize the work of others or otherwise cheat will fail the course.  Students are advised to generously give credit to others.



 

Course Schedule and Assignments:
 

January 14     Introduction to Surveys, Sampling, and Society:  Examples and Margin of Error
 

                    Reading: Lohr, Chapter 1 (distributed in class).

                                      Henry, Chapters 1 and 2.
                    Team Project Assignment , Designing a Sample Survey, Part  I, Due January  21
Arrange a 1 ½ hour time period that your group will meet weekly and  send  e-mail to Professor Fienberg with the time, day, and place of meeting,  and names of all team members (4-5 members per group).
                    Individual Homework #1, Due January 23:
                            Lohr: Exercises 1, 2, 4, 5, 13, 15
 
January 16     Evaluation of Statistical Skills/ Ethics
 
                    Review Quiz  based on Materials from 36-201/202 (Counts as a Homework)

                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter 9

                                Sharing information
                                Data linkage
 
 

J anuary 21    Introduction to Data Collection
 

                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter 4

 
                    Team Project Assignment, Designing a Sample Survey, Part  I, due today
                                Part  II, due January 28

 

January 23     Sampling and Non-sampling Errors
 

                    Reading: Lohr, Chapter
 
                    Individual Homework #1 due in class today
 

                    Individual Homework #2, dueJanuary 30.
                                Questions/Problems from Lohr
 

January 28    Ethics/IRB/ Discuss Projects
 

                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter 9
                                Special Handout
 

                    Team Project Assignment, Part  II, due today
                                Part  III, due February  4
 

January 30    Modes ofInterviewing
 

                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter 7
                                Special Handout
 

                    Individual Homework #2 due in class today
 

                    Individual Homework #3, due February 6.

   Exercises from Fowler, Chapter 7.
 
February 4    Validity and Reliability of Questions
 
                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter 5

                                  Special Handout
 

                    Team Project Assignment , Part  III, due in class today
                                Part  IV, due February 18
 

February 6    Designing and Testing Survey Questions
 

                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter. 6
 

                    IndividualHomework #3 due in class  today
 

                    Individual  Homework #4, due February 13.
 

 
February 11     Clever Use of Groups for Sampling: Stratification and Clustering
 
                    Reading:  Henry, Chapter 6
 
February 13    Survey Design, Reviewing Surveys
 
                    Reading: Fowler, Chapter 6
                                   Case Study: Sex in America
 
                    Individual Homework #4 due in class  today

                    Individual Homework #5, date due February 20.
 

 
February 18     Reviewing Surveys/ Project Progress Reports


                      Team Project Assignment , Part  IV, due  in class today
                                Part  V, due March 4
 

February 20    Midterm Examination I
 

                    Project Status: Begin Pre-testing survey instrument.
                    Individual Homework #5, date due  in class today.


                    Individual Homework #6, date due February 27.
 

February 25      Sampling from Finite Populations-- Binary Outcomes
 

                    Reading:  Henry, Chapter 6
 
 

February 27    Sampling from Finite Populations-- Binary Outcomes (continued)
 

                    Individual Homework #6, date due  in class today.
 

                    Individual Homework #7, date due March 13.
 
 

 

March 4    Sampling from Finite Populations--Margin of Error and Sample Size,
                Asking Sensitive Questions-Randomized Response
 

                    Reading:  Special Handout
 

                    Team Project Assignment , Part  V, due  in class today
                             Part  VI, due March 18
 

 

March 6    Midsemester Break
 

March 11    Expectations and Variances
 

                    Reading:  Special Handout
 

March 13    Sampling from Finite Populations--Continuous Outcomes
 

                    Project status
                    If needed, pre-test survey instrument again and revise accordingly.
 

                    Individual Homework #7, due  in class today.
 

                    Individual Homework #8, due April 3.
 

March 18    Sampling from Finite Populations--Continuous Outcomes  (continued)
 

                    Team Project Assignment, Part  VI, due today

                            Part  V, due March 4
 

March 20    Stratified Sampling
 
                    Reading: Special Handout

 
March 25 and 27    Spring  Break
 
April 1    Stratified Sampling and Clustering
 
                    Reading: Special Handout
 
                    Project Status: Start administering survey.
                     You need to get Professor Fienberg's approval.
 
April 3    Clustering (continued); Project Progress Reports


                    Homeworks #8  due in class today
 

April 8     Stratified Sampling and Clustering: Applications
 

April 10   Misdsemester Exam II
 

April 15     Preparing Survey Data for Analysis, Displaying Data and Results
 

April 17     Capture-Recapture, ACE, Census Undercount
 

April 22     Case Study  and/or Student Presentations
 

April 24    Student Presentations
 

April 29     Student Presentations
 

May 1    Student Presentations
 

May 2     Final  Project Papers Due by 5 p.m.



Last Updated:  January 16, 2003.