POL8065 : Principles of Data Science for Political Research
POL8065 : Principles of Data Science for Political Research
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Brian Boyle
- Co-Module Leader: Dr Sebastian Popa
- Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
No previous coding or statistics experience required.
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
This class will teach students how to find, collect, and organise some of the common types of data used in political research. We will cover how data can be creatively applied to studying differences across social and political groups, using practical examples.
The key aims of this module are:
- How to conduct political research using quantitative, open science, and reproducible research approaches.
- Proficiency in handling and analysing data using the R programming language.
- How to evaluate data sources’ suitability for answering political research questions.
- Where to find secondary data, and how to collect your own datasets.
- Developing a workflow for data analysis and reports that is scalable to larger research projects e.g. student dissertations.
- Gaining hands-on experience in applying these skills to datasets in political science and international relations.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module will cover a range of topics, that may include:
- Open source and reproducible research practices
- Where to find secondary data sources
- How to collect your own data from the web
- How to import, clean, and transform datasets using R
- Visualising and analysing data
- Creating reports and interpreting results
Learning Outcomes
Intended Knowledge Outcomes
- Where and how to collect data, and assess its suitability for their own research projects.
- The benefits and difficulties of implementing open science and reproducible research.
- How to summarise and visualise political data sources, and communicate key findings.
Intended Skill Outcomes
- Practical skills in using R for data handling, data analysis, and reporting.
- How to apply data skills to answer substantive political research questions.
- Ability to critical evaluate data driven research from a wide variety of sources.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Computer labs |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 7 | 1:00 | 7:00 | Computer labs, working through applied examples in small groups. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 171:00 | 171:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
- Practical sessions will review the core concepts from that week’s topic; give students the opportunity discuss concepts from the assigned readings; work though examples of how to apply these practices using R.
- Workshops will: Allow students to apply the skills learned in seminars to practical applied examples; work in small groups to complete tasks; supervised practice in the application of the skills that will be used in their final report.
Reading Lists
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | A | 80 | Research report (3,000 words) |
| Prob solv exercises | 2 | M | 20 | Group tasks to be completed during workshops. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
- Apply the tools learned in seminars to small programming challenges that simulate common research tasks.
- Work effectively in small groups.
- Combining all class elements to produce a reproducible workflow exploring a political data set, and reporting their findings.
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- POL8065's Timetable
Past Exam Papers
- Exam Papers Online : www.ncl.ac.uk/exam.papers/
- POL8065's past Exam Papers
General Notes
N/A
Welcome to Newcastle University Module Catalogue
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Disclaimer
The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2024 academic year.
In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described.
Modules may be amended on an annual basis to take account of changing staff expertise, developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Module information for the 2025/26 entry will be published here in early-April 2025. Queries about information in the Module Catalogue should in the first instance be addressed to your School Office.