ENS 623 Research and Statistical Methods Learning to collect and analyze data
Course Description
This course covers issues related to the proper manner in which develop and conduct a research project. Statistical issues related to environmental evaluations will be discussed, including minimal detectable levels, proper sample size, and determination of proper methods for evaluation of data, using both parametric and nonparametric procedures.
Syllabus
You can find a DRAFT copy of the syllabus here
Course Schedule
| Date | Meeting | Topic | Recommended Reading | Lecture Notes | Assignment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/24 | 1 | Introduction to Biostatistics and R | Karban et al. 2014, Chapter 1; Sutherland et al. 2013 | Lecture notes 1; In class R file | Problem Set 1 | |
| 1/31 | 2 | Intro to R (cont) and Asking Research Questions | Software Carpentry - Intro to Programming | Lecture notes 2; In class R file | Problem Set 2 | |
| 2/7 | 3 | Snow day: On-line Meeting | Review - Karban et al. 2014, Chapter 1 | Lecture notes 3; In class R file | Problem Set 3; Research Question Exercise | |
| 2/14 | 4 | Introduction to Probability | Q&K Chap. 1; Logan Chap. 3 | Lecture notes 4; In class R file | Problem Set 4 | |
| 2/21 | 5 | Probability and Data Visualization | Q&K Chap. 1 & 4; Logan Chap. 5 | Lecture notes 5; In class R file | Problem Set 5 | |
| 2/28 | 6 | Probability Distributions | Q&K Chap. 2; Logan Chap. 3; Bolker Chap. 4.1, 4.4., 4.5 | Lecture notes 6; In class R file | No problem set this week | |
| 3/7 | 7 | Probability Distributions and Estimation | Q&K Chap. 2; Logan Chap. 3; Bolker Chap. 4.1, 4.4., 4.5 | Lecture notes 7 | Problem Set 6 | |
| 3/14 | SPRING BREAK | NO CLASS | Catch-up | |||
| 3/21 | Snow Day | NO CLASS | ||||
| 3/28 | 8 | Central Limit Theorem | Q&K Chap. 2; Logan Chap. 3; OpenIntro Stats text Chap. 4 | Lecture notes 8; In class R file | Problem Set 7; Background literature search | |
| 4/4 | 9 | Hypothesis Testing | Q&K Chap. 3; Logan Chap. 6 | Lecture notes 9; In class R file | Problem Set 8 | |
| 4/11 | 10 | Non-parametric Tests; Correlation and Regression | Q&K Chap. 3 & 5; Logan Chap. 6-8 | Lecture notes 10; In class R file | ||
| 4/18 | 11 | Multiple and complex regression | Q&K Chap. 6; Logan Chap. 8 & 9 | Lecture notes 11; In class R file | Problem Set 9; Methods description | |
| 4/25 | 12 | ANOVA; Nested and Factorial ANOVA | Q&K 8 & 9; Logan 10-12 | Lecture notes 12; In class R file | Problem Set 10 | |
| 5/2 | 13 | ANCOVA; Analysis of Frequencies; GLM; Wrap-up | Logan Chap. 15-17; Q&K 12-14 | Lecture notes 13; In class R file |
Semester Project Overview
During the semester, you will carry out an independent research and analysis project, using the skills we learn in this class. The project represents 40% of your grade, but is broken up into several components.
- Research question exercise - 5% - DUE 2/14
- Background literature search - 5% - DUE 3/28
- Methods description - 5% - DUE 4/18
- Mini-presentation (5 minutes in class) - 5% - DUE 4/25 or 5/2
- Final report - 20% - DUE 5/11
Resources
Here are some useful resources for leanring R, biostats, research methods, and grants.
R
-
Quick R - A site filled with great tutorials on basic and advanced stats methods in R. Also has good plotting resources.
-
Cookbook for R - Another great site for all things R. Especially good resource for making
ggplot2plots.
Biostats
- Diagram of distribution relationships - Here’s a good site outlining the different relationships between various statistical distributions. It’s based on a well known paper by Leemis and McQueston.