Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I The Research Process and Data Collection
Chapter 1 A Brief Overview of the Research Process
1.1 Introduction
1.2 What Is Research
1.3 Steps In The Research Process
1.3.1 Read the Literature and Identify Gaps or Ways to Extend the Literature
1.3.2 Examine the Theory
1.3.3 Develop your Research Questions and Hypotheses
1.3.4 Identify your Research Method
1.3.5 Examine the Data or Other Evidence
1.3.6 Write the Research Paper
1.4 Conclusion
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 2 Sampling Techniques
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Sample Design
2.3 Selecting a Sample
2.3.1 Probability and Nonprobability Sampling
2.3.2 Identifying a Sampling Frame
2.3.3 Determining the Sample Size
2.3.4 Sample Selection Methods
2.4 Sampling Weights
2.4.1 Calculating Sampling Weights
2.4.2 Using Sampling Weights
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 3 Questionnaire Design
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Types of Questionnaires
3.2.1 Type of Interview
3.2.2 Structured and Semi-structured Questionnaires
3.2.3 Types of Questions
3.3 Guidelines For Questionnaire Design
3.3.1 General Guidelines
3.3.2 Question Order
3.3.3 Phrasing the Questions
3.4 Recording Responses
3.4.1 Responses in the Form of Continuous Variables
3.4.2 Responses in the Form of Categorical Variables
3.5 Skip Patterns
3.6 Ethical Issues
Exercises
Key Terms
Part II Describing Data
Chapter 4 An Introduction to Stata
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Opening Stata and Stata Windows
4.2.1 Results Window
4.2.2 History Window
4.2.3 Command Window
4.2.4 Variables Window
4.2.5 Properties Window
4.3 Working With Existing Data
4.4 Setting Preferences in Stata
4.5 Entering Your Own Data Into Stata
4.6 Using Log Files and Saving Your Work
4.7 Getting Help
4.7.1 Help Command
4.7.2 Search Command
4.7.3 Stata Website
4.7.4 Using a Search Engine
4.8 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 5 Preparing and Transforming Your Data
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Checking for Outliers
5.3 Creating New Variables
5.3.1 Generate
5.3.2 Using Operators
5.3.3 Recode
5.3.4 Egen
5.4 Missing Values in Stata
5.5 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 6 Descriptive Statistics
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Types of Variables and Measurement
6.3 Descriptive Statistics for All Types of Variables: Frequency Tables and Modes
6.3.1 Frequency Tables
6.3.2 Mode
6.4 Descriptive Statistics for Variables Measured as Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio Scales: Median and Percentiles
6.4.1 Median
6.4.2 Percentiles
6.5 Descriptive Statistics for Continuous Variables: Mean, Variance, Standard Deviation, and Coefficient of Variation
6.5.1 Mean
6.5.2 Variance and Standard Deviation
6.5.3 Coefficient of Variation
6.6 Descriptive Statistics for Categorical Variables Measured on a Nominal or Ordinal Scale: Cross Tabulation
6.7 Applying Sampling Weights
6.8 Formatting Output for Use in a Document (Word, Google Docs, etc.)
6.9 Graphs to Describe data
6.9.1 Bar Graphs
6.9.2 Box Plots
6.9.3 Histograms
6.9.4 Pie Charts
6.10 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Part III Testing Hypotheses
Chapter 7 The Normal Distribution Hypothesis Testing, and Statistical Significance
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The Normal Distribution and Standard Scores
7.3 Sampling Distributions and Standard Errors
7.4 Examining the Theory and Identifying the Research Question and Hypothesis
7.5 Testing for Statistical Significance between a Sample Mean and a Population Mean
7.6 Rejecting or Not Rejecting the Null Hypothesis
7.7 Interpreting the Results
7.8 Central Limit Theorem
7.9 Presenting the Results
7.10 Comparing a Sample Proportion to a Population Proportion
7.11 Summary of Commands Used in This Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 8 Testing a Hypothesis about a Single Mean and a Single Proportion
8.1 Introduction
8.2 When to use the One-Sample t Test
8.3 Calculating the One-Sample t Test
8.4 Conducting a One-Sample t Test
8.5 Interpreting the Output
8.6 Presenting the Results
8.7 Estimating a Population Proportion from a Sample Proportion
8.9 Summary of Commands Used in This Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 9 Testing a Hypothesis about Two Independent Means
9.1 Introduction
9.2 When to Use a Two Independent-Samples t Test
9.3 Calculating the t Statistic
9.4 Conducting a t Test
9.5 Interpreting the Output
9.6 Presenting the Results
9.7 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 10 One-Way Analysis of Variance
10.1 Introduction
10.2 When to Use One-Way ANOVA
10.3 Calculating the F Ratio
10.4 Conducting a One-Way ANOVA Test
10.5 Interpreting the Output
10.6 Is One Mean Different, or are All of Them Different?
10.7 Presenting the Results
10.8 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 11 Comparing Categorical Variables- The Chi-Squared Test and Proportions
11.1 Introduction
11.2 When to Use the Chi-Squared Test
11.3 Calculating the Chi-Square Statistic
11.4 Conducting a Chi-Squared Test
11.5 Interpreting the Output
11.6 Presenting the Results
11.7 Comparing Proportions or Binary Categorical Variables
11.8 Sumary of Commands Used in This Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Part IV Exploring Relationships
Chapter 12 Linear Regression Analysis
12.1 Introduction
12.2 When to Use Regression Analysis
12.3 Correlation
12.4 Simple Regression Analysis
12.5 Multiple Regression Analysis
12.6 Presenting the Results
12.7 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 13 Regression Diagnostics
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Measurement Error
13.3 Specification Error
13.3.1 Types of Specification Errors
13.3.2 Diagnosing Specification Error
13.3.3 Correcting Specification Error
13.4 Multicollinearity
13.5 Heteroscedasticity
13.6 Endogeneity
13.7 Nonnormality
13.8 Presenting the Results
13.9 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 14 Regression Analysis With Binary Dependent Variables
14.1 Introduction
14.2 When to Use Logit or Probit Analysis
14.3 Understanding the Logit Model
14.4 Running a Logit Model
14.5 Interpreting the Results of a Logit Model
14.6 Logit versus Probit Regression Models
14.7 Presenting the Results
14.8 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Chapter 15 Introduction to Advanced Topics in Regression Analysis
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Regression With a Categorical Dependent Variable
15.3 Intstrumental Variables Regression
15.4 Regression with Time-Series Data
15.4.1 Autocorrelation
15.4.2 Non-stationary
15.5 Regression that Combines Cross-Section and Time-Series Data
15.5.1 Panel Data Analysis
15.5.2 Difference-in-Difference Analysis
15.5.3 Randomized Controlled Trial
15.6 Summary of Commands Used in this Chapter
Exercises
Key Terms
Part V Writing A Research Paper
Chapter 16 Writing a Research Paper
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Introduction Section of a Research Paper
16.3 Literature Review
16.4 Theory, Data, and Methods
16.5 Results
16.5.1 Logical Sequence
16.5.2 Tables, Figures, and Numbers
16.5.3 Reporting Results From Statistical Tests
16.5.4 Active Versus Passive Voice and the Use of First-Person Pronouns
16.6 Discussions
16.7 Conclusions
Exercises
Key Terms
Appendix 1: Quick Reference Guide to Stata Commands
Appendix 2: Summary of Statistical Tests by Chapter
Appendix 3: Decision Tree for Choosing the Right Statistic
Appendix 4: Decision Rules for Statistical Significance
Appendix 5: Areas Under the Normal Curve (Z Scores)
Appendix 6: Critical Values of the t Distribution
Appendix 7: Stata Code for Random Sampling
Appendix 8: Examples of Nonlinear Functions
Appendix 9: Estimating the Minimum Sample Size
Appendix 10: Description of the Data Sets Used in the Textbook
Glossary
References
Endnotes
Index
About the Authors
