ANSC 303: Quantitative and Computer Methods in Anthropology
Prerequisites: ANSC 201 and ANSC 301 or ANSC 302 or permission of instructor
Credit Hours: (4) Three hours lecture; three hours laboratory
Through hands-on training with real and demonstrative data sets, students will learn a wide range of quantitative analytical techniques most frequently used in the field of anthropology. Course topics include basic computer methods, concepts of sampling and probability, and univariate and multivariate statistical analysis.
Note(s): Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning designated course. Students cannot receive credit for both ANTH 482 and ANSC 303.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
This course will introduce ANSC majors to the range of quantitative and computer methods
used in the discipline. Specific focus will be on the basic statistical techniques
widely used in anthropological research and professional literature, including univariate
and multivariate analyses. Special attention will be focused on a number of topics
of special interest to anthropologists, including research design, sampling strategies,
and the appropriate use of methods in the context of problem-oriented research. The
course will consist of both lecture and a computer laboratory component. The laboratory
component will center on hands-on analyses of real and demonstrative anthropological
data sets.
a. This course will address the following topics:
i. Statistical and other quantitative methods used in anthropology:
-Concepts in probability
-Basic exploratory data analysis (EDA) using anthropological data sets
-Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses
-Other forms of quantitative analysis (calculations of abundance, diversity,
risk, etc.) relevant to anthropological research
ii. Sampling strategies and problems in quantitative analyses in anthropology
-Varieties of random sampling strategies
-Non-random sampling
-Spatial sampling
-Sampling at multiple scales
iii. Software and computer applications used in basic quantitative and spatial
analyses
-The use of spreadsheets for basic data summary
-The use of statistical software for exploratory data analysis (EDA),
univariate analysis, and multivariate analysis
-Introduction to databases
iv. Software and computer applications used in the presentation and publication
of quantitative analyses
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The lecture component of the course will be devoted to presentation and discussion
of major course concepts. These concepts will be reinforced through a selection of
readings on quantitative analyses and case studies taken directly from the anthropological
literature. Special attention in lecture and discussion will be placed on the use
of appropriate methods and clear verbal and written interpretations of results.
The laboratory component will be computer-intensive. Lab time will de devoted to introducing
students to a variety of software essential to the use of quantitative analyses. Each
week in lab students will work through examples, in a classroom that encourages collaboration
and group work under the supervision of the instructor. Students will receive hands-on
training in labs using a variety of real and invented anthropological data sets.
Finally, lab time will be used to explore varying ways of presenting the results of
quantitative analyses in tabular and graphical formats.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
This course is designated as R (Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning) Area for the
REAL Curriculum and fulfills the learning goal: To apply scientific and quantitative
reasoning to questions about the natural world, mathematics, or related areas. Students
will fulfill the learning outcomes in this area: apply scientific and quantitative
information to test problems and draw conclusions and evaluate the quality of data,
methods, or inferences used to generate scientific and quantitative knowledge.
This course may be applied to the REAL Studies Minor in Scientific/Quantitative Reasoning.
Students completing this course will be able to:
a. discuss the different varieties of quantitative data usually encountered in
anthropology.
b. access, understand, and evaluate the use of quantitative data in anthropological
literature.
c. develop a sampling strategy in response to a basic research question.
d. apply a range of statistical tools and computer applications to the evaluation
of data in the context of problem-oriented research.
e. use a range of computer applications in the development of tabular and graphical
forms of presentation of data and analytical results.
Assessment Measures
Three assessment measures will be used in this class. These include exams, in-class
lab exercises, and take-home exercises. Exams will include both written sections and
quantitative problems. In-class and take-home exercises will be handed in and graded
weekly in order to ensure that students have mastered a particular set of concepts.
This approach is specifically designed in response to the cumulative nature of understanding
mathematical concepts.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
December, 2009
June 15, 2015
August 2021