Making sense of numbers : quantitative reasoning for social research / Jane E. Miller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Miller, Jane E. (Jane Elizabeth), 1959- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Research--Methodology.

Social sciences.

Quantitative research.

Reasoning.

Physical Description:

pages cm

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks, California : SAGE Publishing, [2022]

Summary:

"Making Sense of Numbers teaches students the skills they need to be both consumers and producers of quantitative research: able to read about, collect, calculate, and communicate numeric information for both everyday tasks and school or work assignments. The text teaches how to avoid making common errors of reasoning, calculation, or interpretation by introducing a systematic approach to working with numbers, showing students how to figure out what a particular number means. The text also demonstrates why it is important to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to the numbers we all encounter, so that we can understand how those numbers can (and cannot) be interpreted in their real-world context. Jane E. Miller uses annotated examples on a wide variety of topics to illustrate how to use new terms, concepts, and approaches to working with numbers. End-of-chapter engagement activities designed based on Miller's three decades of teaching experience can be used in class or as homework assignments, with some for students to do individually and others intended for group discussion. The book is ideally suited for a range of courses, including quantitative reasoning, research methods, basic statistics, data analysis, and communicating quantitative information"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction to making sense of numbers

Foundational concepts for quantitative research

Topic and conceptualization

Measurement

Context

Working with tables

Working with charts and visualizations

Comparison values, contrast sizes, and standards

Numbers, comparisons, and calculations

Distributions and associations

Bias

Causality

Uncertainty of numeric estimates

Communicating quantitative research

The role of research methods in making sense of numbers.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781544355597

1544355599

OCLC:

1246144669

Publisher Number:

99988536986