Module Identifier RS21810  
Module Title STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR RURAL STUDIES  
Academic Year 2006/2007  
Co-ordinator Dr Malcolm H Leitch  
Semester Semester 1  
Course delivery Lecture   2 x 2 hour combined lecture/workshops per week  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam3 Hours 3-hour written examination Outcomes assessed: 1, 2, 3  40%
Semester Assessment Assignment Outcomes assessed: 1, 2, 3  60%
Supplementary Exam3 Hours  100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module students will be able to:

1.   Identify appropriate methods of analysis for different types of data.

2.   Demonstrate competence in data analysis using a range of statistical methods.

3.   Draw suitable conclusions based on the results of data analysis.


Aims

To develop an appreciation of the role of statistical analysis in the interpretation of experimental data.
To develop skills in the use of a range of commonly used statistical techniques.

Content

A practical course with short explanatory lectures. Content will vary to some extent in response to the specific needs of individual courses. Content includes probability, a description of the normal distribution, parametric tests based on samples drawn from normally distributed populations including t-test and one-way and multi-way ANOVA. Correlation and regression. Non-parametric methods will include chi-square analysis of frequencies, contingency tables, Mann-Whitney and Spearman Rank correlation.

Module Skills

Improving own Learning and Performance Students are responsible for meeting deadlines in presentation of practical exercises  
Application of Number The module requires students to analyse and interpret data using a range of statistical methods.  

Reading Lists

Books
** General Text
Fowler, J (1998) Practical statistics for field biology 2nd. Wiley, New York 0047198262

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5