General description

Introduction to locating, searching and accessing data, secondary analysis of data, and data archiving, best practises in data sharing and practical exercise in the use of comparative data.

Learning outcomes

This course deals with comparative data sources, especially international surveys.
Students will gain understanding on searching and using international comparative research data. The students will learn how to make best use of online systems like CESSDA data portal, ESS, ICPSR and Eurostat.

The main focus on this course will be secondary analysis of data, ie. using data form an archive of previously collected surveys or other data. Using archived data is especially attaractive to stundents, since it is very cost-effective. Beyond costs, there are also other excellent reasons to do research using previously collected data. For example, by replicating the work of another researcher, one can test the validity of the previous analyses. Archived data can also be used to test research hypotheses about people's attitudes and behaviors, or to gain understanding on how different survey methodologies change the kind and quality of data collected. Furthermore, archived data gives new possibilities to study changes in attitudes and behavior over time, or cross-nationally.

Students will be provided guidance on finding and exploring social science data and documentation. Students will gain technical and data analytic skills like searching and interpreting the codebooks and study documentation. They will learn to recognize the crucial details that help them decide whether or not a particular data collection will be useful in their research. The topics covered include research design issues like question development and translation, sampling and collection, and various kinds of harmonization.
• The course will be covering the use of international survey (micro) and aggregate (macro) data sources. The course will include a hands-on workshop and involve using recently developed online materials.
• Something about reusing qualitative data
• Research ethics

Contents

First of all, the students develop an understanding of the concept of secondary analysis. Secondly, students will learn to evaluate data and documentation in order to find the data that is suitable for their research. Thirdly, students will learn how to get access to data. For example, some international datasets, such as cross-national surveys that can be used for comparative research, can be ordered/accessed via national data archives or online. These include practical guidance and exercises on the European Social Survey (ESS), European Work and Living Conditions data (EWC) and the Labour Force Survey -microdata (LFS).Finally, students will learn about the pros and cons of secondary analysis and via exercises, characteristics of cross-sectional and comparative analysis.

Teaching methods

The course will be organised as an intensive course in the spring 2009 at the university of Tampere including introductionary lectures and separate hands-on seminars according specific timetable. Afterwards exercises and discussion boards will be supported by Moodle. (see table of the contents and timetables)

The course will include workshop sessions so that participants can work through practical exercises, and computer practicals using SPSS for Windows and real survey data.

Teaching language

English

Evaluation and evaluation criteria

Numeric 1-5.
Active participation.

Study materials

Reading list:

-Dale, Angela et al.: Doing Secondary Analysis. Contemporary Social Research 17. London: Unwin Hyman Ltd., 1998.

- Hakim, Catherine: Research Design. Succesful Designs for Social and Economic Resesach. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2000.

- Heaton, Janet: Reworking Qualitative Data. London: Sage, 2004.

- Van Deth, Jan W: Using Published Survey Data. In: Harkness, Janet et al (eds.): Cross-Cultural Survey Methods. Wiley Series in survey methodology, p. 291-309. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Interscience, 2003.

- Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, Jürgen H.P. & Wolf, Christof (eds.): Advances in Cross-National Comparison: A European Working Book for Demographic and Socio-Economic Variables. New York: Kluver Academics/Plenum Publishers, 2003.

Belongs to following study modules