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The world is saturated with data. We are regularly presented with data in words, tables, and graphics. Students from many academic fields are now expected to be educated about data in one form or another. Yet the typical sequence of courses – introductory statistics and research methods – does not provide sufficient information about how to focus in on a research question, how to access data and work with datasets, or how to present data to various audiences.
Principles of Data Management and Presentation addresses this gap. Assuming only that students have some familiarity with basic statistics and research methods, it provides a comprehensive set of principles for understanding and using data as part of a research project, including:
- how to narrow a research topic to a specific research question
- how to access and organize data that are useful for answering a research question
- how to use software such as Stata, SPSS, and SAS to manage data
- how to present data so that they convey a clear and effective message
A companion website includes material to enhance the learning experience – specifically statistical software code and the datasets used in the examples, in text format as well as Stata, SPSS, and SAS formats.
John P. Hoffmann is Professor of Sociology at Brigham Young University. Before arriving at BYU, he was a senior research scientist at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), a nonprofit firm affiliated with the University of Chicago. He received a master's in Law and Justice from American University and a doctorate in Criminal Justice from SUNY-Albany. He also received a master's in Public Health with emphases in Epidemiology and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University. His research addresses drug use, juvenile delinquency, and the sociology of religion.
