Introductory Statistics

Course Code: 
ECON1005

This course is designed to teach students various concepts in descriptive and inferential statistics. It is also designed to give students an introduction to research methods.  

The course outlines topics describing a data set (graphical methods, measures of central tendency, measures of variability, measures of shape); probability and probability distributions (sample space, probability of events, events composition, conditionality and independence, random variables, expectation for discrete random variables, binomial distribution, normal distribution), sampling distributions (central limit theorem), large-sample estimation (confidence intervals, choosing a sample size); large-sample tests of hypotheses.

Overview of the scientific method, the research process, data classification: primary and secondary methods of data collection and observation, questionnaire, interviews. Questionnaire design and administration, theory versus fact, propositions, deductive and inductive reasoning, advantage of using sample surveys, general principles of sample design, probability and non-probability samples, sampling and non-sampling errors, simple random samples, quota samples, stratified samples and cluster samples. Measurement and scaling concepts:  nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales.

Semester: 
Semester 1
Semester 2
Pre-Requisites: 
CSEC/CXC Math or GCE Math or ECON0001 or GOVT0100 (Anti-requisite: SOCI1005 or STAT1001)
Department: 
Economics