Syllabus - Anth 4050/5053

SYLLABUS - ANTH 4050/5053

QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN ANTHROPOLOGY

Spring 2010 – MW 2:30-3.45

Instructor: Dr. Tammy Stone

Office: CU building, office 110P

Phone 556-3063; e-mail

Office Hours:MW 4:00-5:00 NC5014D or by appointment

Required Text books:

Kachigan, Sam K.

1991Multivariate Statistical Analysis (second edition). Radius Press, New York.

Pyrczak, Fred

2010Making Sense of Statistics, a Conceptual Overview (firth edition). Pyrczak Publishing, Glendale, CA

Additional Supplies:

If you wish to save your print outs and results from statistical test run in SPSS you will need to bring a disk, CD or flash drive to the computer lab. Nothing may be saved on the hard drive of the computer network. You should note, however, that all data sets are copyright protected and may not be used in publications with out permission and appropriate citations.

This class is intended as an intensive introduction to the use of quantitative methods in anthropology. Basic concepts are discussed with an emphasis on the role of quantitative methods in solving problems (i.e., it will be an applied class and little information on theoretical mathematics will be presented). The objectives of this class are four fold

1) to provide a working knowledge of the statistical methods used in anthropological research (i.e., to get you to stop skipping the quantitative sections of the articles you read for class)

2) to discus the types of problems that can be addressed using quantitative methods

3) to provide the background that will allow you to design research projects using quantitative analysis.

4) to familiarize you with the integration of data in reports and the appropriate way to present and reference your results.

No prior knowledge or use of computers or statistics is required and I will present the information as though that is the case. Additionally, although the time requirement for the class is not substantial, work must be done on schedule. That is, do not skip a section assuming you will pick it up later. Once you get behind, it is very difficult to catch up.

The class will use the PASW (formerly SPSSPC for windows) statistical package on IBM computers which is on the network in the social science computing lab (North Classroom 2028). You may use other statistical packages if you wish but data sets will be set up for SPSSPC and other packages will not be discussed in class. Additionally, since the format of output statements vary considerably from package to package, use special care in recording and interpreting your answers.

The use of calculators and slide rulers are allowed for aspects of homework you wish to do by hand (i.e., not by computer). In performing calculations, use the following rules of thumb regarding numerical accuracy: intermediate results which are recorded for later addition or subtraction in a formula should contain as many fractional digits as the basic data contains, but never fewer than 2 such digits. Intermediate quantities recorded for later multiplication or division in a formula should contain twice as many fractional digits as those to be used for addition or subtraction. If in doubt, retain more fractional digits.

Grades:

On all projects you may talk to each other and work together on your strategy but you must write the projects up individually. Duplicate submissions from different students and group projects will not be accepted and will result in a zero on the project.

Undergraduates: Your grade will be based on four (4) equally weighted projects that require you to use a variety of statistical test to analyze a data set. You should place yourself in the role of a statistical consultant for a research project. You paper will consist of an introductory section (where you clearly state the research question and describe the relevant data set), a methods section (where you break the research question down into a series of specific hypothesis that can be statistically tested and you state how you will test them and why you are testing them the way you are), and a results section (where you describe the results of your test and the answer to the research question (see the rubric in blackboard). These papers will be 5-7 pages long. Do not put forward conclusions your data can not support in these papers. Homework may be hand written, as long as, in myjudgment, your handwriting is neat and easily readable. The figures and tables need not be publication quality, but they should be clear and well-labeled. You should include your print outs with your assignment so that I can show you where you went wrong if there is an error. Projects will be accepted late but 5 points will be subtracted for every 24 hour period after the due date it is late.

Graduate Students: Your grade will be based on five (5) equally weighted projects. Included are the four projects described above and an additional assignment. The additional assignment will be carried out on an independent data set of your choosing in which you decide the question to be asked, the test to be used to answer that question, and a 5-7 page write up describing the question, the data, the test, the results and your conclusions. Appropriate citations (i.e., data sources if not your own, background on question, etc) must be made in American Antiquity, American Anthropologist, or American Journal of Physical Anthropologyformat. This assignment is due at 4:00 pm 12/10 - you may hand them in early if you wish. Projects will be accepted late but 5 points will be subtracted for every 24 hour period after the due date it is late.

Projects: information on how to run each of these in SPSS can be found in blackboard

Project 1 – Use the PROJPT.SAV file to do this project. What is the nature of my sample (what types are present based on both metric and categorical (string) data)? Do my projectile point types look different in terms of material, size, etc? (use a minimum of 2 data screening tests on a minimum of 2 variables).

Project 2 – Use the PROJPT.SAV file or the SITS.SAV file to do this project. Are my types (either projectile point type or site type) statistically different from each other (use a minimum of 2 hypothesis testing tests and 3 variables)?

Project 3 – Use the PROJPT.SAV file or SITES.SAV to do this project. Is there a relationship between two variables (test both metric and categorical (string) data)?

Project 4 – Use the SITES.SAV or CERAMICS.SAV files for this project. Are there variables (either defined in the data or underlying) that help me to understand the variability in my sample, can this variability help me to groups cases into types or determine if my types are different from each other? (use a minimum of 1 multivariate test).

Notes on Class:

Details on the data sets and how to run the statistical tests can be found on blackboard.

Due to University policy, the following deadlines and rules will be strictly enforced:

Spring 2010 CLAS Academic Policies
The following policies pertain to all students and are strictly adhered to by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).

Every student MUST check and verify their schedule prior to the published drop/add deadlines. Failure to verify a schedule is not sufficient reason to justify a late add or drop later in the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that their schedule is correct prior to the appropriate deadlines.
CLAS students must use their email.ucdenver.edu email address. Email is the official method of communication for all University of Colorado Denver business. All email correspondence will take place using your UCDHSC email address. Go to activate your email address.
Students are NOT automatically added to a course off a wait list after wait lists are dropped. If a student is told by a faculty member that they will be added off the wait list, it is the responsibility of the student to complete the proper paperwork to add a course.
Students are not automatically notified if they are added to a class from a wait-list. Again, it is the responsibility of the student to verify their schedule prior to any official dates to drop or add courses.
Students must complete and submit a drop/add form to make any schedule changes. Students are not automatically dropped from a class if they never attended, stopped attending or do not make tuition payments.
Late adds will be approved only when circumstances surrounding the late add are beyond the student’s control and can be documented independently. This will require a petition and documentation from the student. Please note that the signature of a faculty member on an add form does not guarantee that a late add petition will be approved. Petitions are available in NC 4011.
Late drops will be approved only when circumstances surrounding the late drop have arisen after the published drop deadlines, are beyond the student’s control, and can be documented independently. This will require a petition and documentation from the student. Pre-existing circumstances (circumstances that existed prior to the published drop deadlines) regarding illness, work, family, or other confounding issues will not be considered adequate reason to drop or withdraw from courses after the published University and/or College drop deadlines. Please note that the signature of a faculty member does not guarantee that a late drop petition will be approved. Petitions are available in NC 4011.
Undergraduate studentswishing tograduate in spring of 2010 must meet with their academic advisor by census date to obtain a graduation application. This application must be completed and submitted by 5 PM on February 3, 2010. You can obtain an application ONLY after meeting with your academic advisor. There are no exceptions to this policy or date.
Graduate students wishing to graduate in spring semester 2010 must complete their Intent to Graduate form and have a Request for Admissions to Candidacy on file with the CLAS Dean’s office no later than 5 PM, February 3, 2010.
Students are responsible for completing financial arrangements with financial aid, family, scholarships, etc. to pay their tuition. Students will be responsible for all tuition and fees for courses they do not officially drop using proper drop/add procedures and forms.

Students who drop after the published drop/add period will not be eligible for a refund of the COF hours or tuition.
Important Dates

January 19, 2010: First day of Class
January 24, 2010: Last day to add a class or be added to a wait list for a class using the SMART system.
January 25, 2010: LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT DROP CHARGE – THIS INCLUDES SECTION CHANGES.
January 25, 2010: Wait Lists are dropped. Any student who was not added to a course automatically from the wait list by this date and time MUST complete a schedule adjustment form to be added to the class. Students are NOT automatically added to the class from the wait list after this date and time. If your name is not on the official student roster, you are not registered for the course.
January 26-February3, 2010: Students are responsible for verifying an accurate spring 2010 course schedule via the SMART registration system. Students are NOT notified of their wait-list status by the university. All students must check their scheduled prior to February 3, 2010 for accuracy.
January 26, 2010: First day instructor may approve request to add a student to a full course with a Schedule Adjustment Form.
February 3, 2010: Census date.
February 3, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day to add structured courses without a written petition for a late add. This is an absolute deadline and is treated as such. This deadline does not apply to independent study, internships, project hours, thesis hours, dissertation hours, and late-starting modular courses.
February 3, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day to drop a spring 2010 course or completely with draw from all spring 2010 coursesusing a schedule adjustment form with a tuition adjustment minus the drop charge and no transcript notation – this includes section changes. Drops after this date will appear on your transcript. This is an absolute deadline and is treated as such.
February 3, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day to request pass/fail or no credit option for a course.
February 3, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day to for a graduate student to register for a Candidate for Degree.
February 3, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day for a Ph.D. student to petition for a reduction in hours.
February 3, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day to apply for spring 2010 graduation. You must make an appointment and see your academic advisor before this date to apply for graduation if you are an undergraduate; you must complete the intent to graduate and candidate for degree form if you are a graduate student.
February 15-24, 2010: Faculty can use the early alert system.
March 22-28, 2010: Spring break (no classes/campus open)
April 2, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day for non CLAS students to drop or withdraw from all classes without a petition and special approval from the student’s academic Dean. After this date, a dean’s signature is needed.
April 16, 2010 at 5 PM: Last day for CLAS students to drop or withdraw from all classes with signatures from the faculty and Dean without a petition. This is treated as an absolute deadline.
After April 16, 2010all schedule changes require a full petition. Petitions are available in NC 4011.
May 10-15, 2010: Finals Week
No schedule changes will be granted once finals week has started. There are NO exceptions to this policy.

Topic/Assignment

1/20Introduction to the class

1/25Research Design and how quantitative methods fit in

Pyrczak, Part A, section 1 & 2

1/27Sampling Design – where it all starts

Pryczak, Part A, section 3

2/1Issues of Validity

2/3Statistical jargon

Pyrczak, Part A, section 4 & 5

2/8Probability – how likely is my event?

Kachigan, Chapter 2, pp. 56-84

2/10Probability – is my sample representative?

Kachigan, Chapter 2, pp. 84-99

2/15Stem-and-leaf, and box plots

Pyrczak, Part B, section 6 & 7

2/17Descriptive statistics – bar charts and histograms

Pyrczak, Part B, section 8, 9. & 10

2/22Means, variance, and standard deviations

Pyrczak, Part B

2/24Putting data screening information in perspective

Read at least one of the following articles (all articles available electronically at the library)

Smith, T. M., A. J. Olejniczak, S. Reh, Donald J. Reid, J. Hublin (2008) Enamel Thickness Trends in the Dental Arcade of Humans and Chimpanzees. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 136:237-241.

Brickley, Megan and Martin Smith (2006) Culturally Determined Patterns of Violence. American Anthropologist 108:163-177.

Orton, Jayson (2008) A Useful Measure of the Desirability of Different Raw Materials for Retouch Within and Between Assemblages. Journal of Archaeological Science 35:1090-1094.

3/1Comparing means – are my two samples different? (Hypothesis testing)

Pyrczak, Part D, section 17-23

3/3Comparing means continued (t-tests)

Pyrczak, Part D, section 17-23

Project 1 due

3/8Comparing means – are my multiple samples different? (ANOVA)

Pyrczak, part D, section 24 & 25; Kachigan, Chapter 5

3/10Comparing means – are my multiple samples different? (MANOVA and non-parametric)

Pyrczak, part D, section 24 & 25; Kachigan, Chapter 5

3/15Putting information about comparing means into the larger picture

Read at least one of the following articles (all articles available electronically at the library)

Byerly, Ryan M. (2007) Paleopathology in Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Central Plains Bison. Journal of Archaeological Science 34:1847-1858.

3/17Nominal data – what can we do with it? (chi-square)

Pyrczak, Part D, section 26

3/22-24Spring Break (no class)

3/29How strong are the patterns with my nominal data? (chi-square)

Project 2 due

Pyrczak, Part D, section 26

3/31Are my two variables related? – correlation analysis

Pyrczak, Part C; Kachigan, Chapter 3, pp. 117-142, 153-154

4/5More on correlation

Pyrczak, Part C; Kachigan, Chapter 3, pp. 117-142, 153-154

4/7Regression

Kachigan, Chapter 5

4/12Regression

Kachigan, Chapter 5

4/14Putting information on correlation, association, and regression together

Read at least one of the following articles (all available electronically through the library)

Waguespack, Nicole M. (2005) The Organization of Male and Female Labor in Foraging Societies. American Anthropologist 107:666-676.

Kramer, Karen L. and Russell D. Greaves (2007) Changing Patterns of Infant Mortality and Maternal Fertility Among Pume´ Foragers and Horticulturalist. American Anthropologist 109:713-726.

Mays, S., M. Brickey, and R. Ives (2008) Growth in an English Population from the Industrial Revolution. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 136:85-92.

4/19How many types do I have? Cluster analysis

Kachigan, Chapter 8

Project 3 due

4/21Are my types different? Discriminate analysis

Kachigan, Chapter 6

4/26Are there Underlying Variables? Factor Analysis

Kachigan, Chapter 7

4/28Putting Multivariate Analysis Together

Read at least one of the following articles (all available electronically through the library)

Shott, Michael and Jesse A. M. Ballenger (2007) Biface Reduction and the Measurement of Dalton Curation. American Antiquity 72:153-175.

Garcia-Quijano, Carlos G. (2007) Fishers’ Knowledge of Marine Species Assemblages. American Anthropologist 109:529-536.

5/3Meta Analysis – using data from previous studies

5/5Summing up and additional questions on quantitative methods

5/10Final project due by 2:30 p.m. (after this time it is considered late) and any additional questions on quantitative methods in general

5/12Graduate student project due 2:30 pm (after this time it is considered late)