Syllabus contents:

Course Description

Learning Objectives

Assignments

Grading Policy

Required Readings 

Extra Handouts

Computer Software 

Disability

Class Meeting Times and Location:
Thursdays 9:00-10:50 am, I-140 Health Sciences
 

Course Description

This is the third quarter of a hands-on course in scientific data analysis.  We will build on the skills learned fall and winter quarters and take advantage of statistical methods learned in BIOST/STAT 570 and BIOST/STAT 571 to analyze more complicated data.   We will spend approximately 3 weeks on each of three data sets.  A particular focus this quarter will be defining the appropriate scientific questions to be asked, translating these questions into statistical questions, and planning the statistical analysis before beginning to work on the computer.

Classroom exercises and weekly outside-of-class data analysis and writing assignments will give students opportunity to practice planning and carrying out a data analysis and reporting the results to a statistically unsophisticated client.  Classroom exercises and discussions will expose students to a variety of data-analysis approaches,  and student and instructor feedback will help each student improve his or her approach to the analysis of scientific data.  Classroom discussions, instructor feedback and peer review will help students refine their report writing style.

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Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, a student can ordinarily expect to be able to:

1. Synthesize information about what motivated the collection of data into a precise verbal statement of the motivating scientific question(s).
2. Translate these verbal questions into appropriate statistical questions.
3. Carry out a step-by-step data analysis.
4. Document a data analysis for later revision.
5. Evaluate the ability of the data, as collected, and the analysis that was performed to answer the statistical and scientific questions of interest.
6. Write an organized report detailing these findings for a non-statistical client.

Assignments

There will be no examinations.

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Grading Policy

This course is graded C/NC.  Students are expected to attend class regularly and complete all assignments satisfactorily to receive credit. 

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Required Readings

There will be occasional readings handed out in class, but the bulk of the learning in this course will be by doing.

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Extra Handouts

Extra handouts from class sessions will be available in a file cabinet near the receptionist's desk in the Department of Biostatistics, F600 Health Sciences.  They are filed by date under McKnight 578B.  If the handout you seek is gone, please ask the secretary for the course, Cathy Stewart, to make you another copy.  Cathy's desk is in the hallway next to F649.   Most handouts will be available on the class web site (http://courses.washington.edu/b578b).

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Computer software

Students may use whatever statistical software they prefer in this course.  However, the instructor is only prepared to answer questions for Splus and Stata.  Any classroom examples will 
be given in Splus, or occasionally, Stata.

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Disability

If you would like to request accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz, 543-8924 (V/TDD).  If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services indicating you have a disability that requires academic accomodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accomodations you might need for class.

 Last Updated:
3/21/01