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Subject details

After successfully completing this subject you should be able to:

  1. Appraise and select the appropriate analytical technique to address a research problem
  2. Use SPSS for Windows to perform commonly used statistical techniques
  3. Interpret and write up these analyses appropriate to the stakeholder or context
  4. Develop an understanding of statistical techniques that will assist you as a competent consumer of empirical criminological, and social science, research.

  • Topics

    • Why statistics?
    • Describing data
    • Making inferences
    • Exploring data
    • Comparing groups 1
    • Comparing Groups 2
    • Bringing it together
    • Exploring relationships
    • Introducing regression
    • From simple to multivariate
    • Applying regression

  • Study resources

    • Instructional Methods

      • Discussion forum/Discussion Board
      • Online assignment submission
      • Podcasting/Lecture capture

    • Online Materials

      • Resources and Links
      • Online Assessment

Entry Requirements

Equivalent Subjects

You cannot enrol in this unit if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

  • GRF-MCCJ7036

Special requirements

No special requirements

This subject was previously known as Quantitative Social Research.

This subject is designed to equip students with the skills needed to process and analyse raw quantitative social science data.

We see statistics everywhere. "There was a 20% reduction in crime rates in the past year"; "offenders with social support networks are 1.4 times more likely to successfully complete drug court orders".  Where do these numbers come from? How do we interpret them?  And how do we know whether we can trust them? Learning about quantitative analyses is important in criminology and in social sciences in general, as it provides the skills to understand, interpret, and criticize the statistics that surround us. Further, it will provide a range of fundamental skills critical to leading and participating in research projects in a number of different sectors.

This subject will cover the nature and use of statistics in criminological and criminal justice research, the description of samples and populations, as well as the tools to describe data and relationships, and to test statistical hypotheses. It will also introduce some basic statistical tools for multivariate analysis.

The value of statistics is not limited to academic projects. These are very marketable and valuable skills that are of use in other public and commercial organisations.

  • Analysis Report 2 (45%)
  • Online Quiz (20%)
  • Analysis Report 1 (35%)

Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a subject.

View textbooks

Related degrees

postgraduate GRF-MCJ-MAS-2018

Master of Criminology and Criminal Justice

postgraduate GRF-FMH-MAS-2018

Master of Forensic Mental Health