Introduction

This workbook contains the lab materials and homework assignments for an introduction to data analysis course designed for CRIM20441 Making Sense of Criminological Data, a 2nd year undergraduate module of the BA Criminology programme at the University of Manchester.

It makes use of Excel, as we have identified a gap in training students to use Excel, despite it being a primary tool for data analysis (whether we like it or not) in many public and private sector organisations. As many students take Q-step internships, this skill was identified as important.

Making Sense of Crim Data introduces students to data, and the concepts of descriptive data analysis. The role of this term is to familiarise students with basic concepts of data analysis, and get acquainted with descriptive statistics to be able to talk about data about crime, policing, and criminal justice topics.

Disclaimer

Please beware that:

  • In making these notes, while we briefly cover some concepts, students are expected to do the weekly reading, and attend the weekly lectures, as well as participate in lab discussions to receive a complete course experience. These notes are not intended to be a stand-alone reference or textbook, rather a set of exercises to gain hands-on practice with the concepts introduced during the course.
  • These pages are the content of the BA Criminology 2nd year course Making Sense of Criminological Data. They are meant to (very gently) introduce undergraduates to the concept of data analysis, and cover descriptive statistics and the key concepts required to build an understanding of quantitative data analysis in crime research. It is followed in the second term by Modelling Criminological Data where students cover inferential statistics. The notes presented here are supported by compulsory reading and some lectures, and so do not provide a comprehensive description of these techniques and tools and how to use them.
  • The handouts below use, among other data sets, data from the UK Data Service such as the Crime Survey for England and Wales that is available under a Open Government Licence. This dataset is designed to be a learning resource and should not be used for research purposes or the production of summary statistics.

Overview of course

In this module you will learn how to source, interpret, wrangle, analyse, visualise, and draw meaningful conclusions from data. Over the coming 10 weeks you will build your statistical knowledge and understanding of data analysis within the context of Criminological and broader Social Science research. We will cover quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques, research design, and visualisations to give you a well-rounded and comprehensive introduction into the world of data in these domains.

Please watch the introduction videos on Blackboard for an overview of this course, for some tips on how to succeed from one of last years’ students, and for a guide on how to navigate this module.

Module structure

The setup of this module is somewhat different to your other lecture and seminar based courses. This course is 10 weeks, and each week made up of 6 elements:

  1. Preparatory reading
  2. Pre-recorded lecture videos
  3. Lab session
  4. Homework task
  5. Homework quiz
  6. Feedback session

Each element is described in detail below:

1) Preparatory reading

For each week you will receive some preliminary reading or videos to watch, before coming to the session. It is very important that you read these before coming to the lab session, as it will make engaging with the lab material easier. Also, you can take the labs as an opportunity to ask questions about the readings, and discuss with us and the teaching assistants during the 2-hour lab sessions.

The reading list can be found on the University of Manchester Library Reading List Online Services which you can access from within Blackboard.

2) Pre-recorded lecture videos

These short clips make up the lecture component of the module. They cover key concepts that you learn each week, which you are exposed to also in your readings (Preparatory materials) and in your exercises (Lab session). We recommend watching these once before the lab, and again after the lab sessions, to really deepen your understanding.

3) Lab session

Lab sessions are the two-hour sessions which take every Wednesday on campus. In these labs we work together through the lab notes included in this book. You should take time to engage with these notes, and ask lots of questions to us and the teaching assistants. This is a time to really engage with the materials.

When you join a lesson, you will be able to get started straight away. You will find the instructions for each week in this booklet. You can open up the link via Blackboard, and read through the instructions chronologically. That just means start at the top, and read through to the bottom.

Usually within the notes you will find some general introduction to the topic covered that week, with links to videos or further reading. You should come equipped with headphones to watch the videos.

These lab notes also contain within them activities. You should do these activities in the lab, and ask for our help when you are stuck, or if you do not understand a concept. Even if everything goes smoothly, and you do understand, but you want to clarify, or ask further questions, please raise your hand during the session and we will come to you. You can do this live in the sessions. It is important that you come to these labs and engage, in order to make sure you really follow the material. If you cannot attend the live sessions then you can ask questions on Blackboard using the Discussion Forum. Please make lots of use of this.

These activities will help you with your learning, but also will contribute towards your post-lab task, and homework quiz. You are welcome to discuss with each other, and with us, but please do make sure that when it comes to understanding the learning behind these activities, you are confident in your ability. Again: we are happy for you to work together and help each other! The lab is here for you to engage with the activities, us, teaching assistants, and each other. So do this! But also make sure you can independently make sense of what you have learned. The final essay will rely heavily on your ability to take the concepts you learn during the activities, and apply them in a way that shows your understanding.

4) Homework task

Each week, after you have completed the lab notes, you must complete some post-lab tasks in the form of a Homework task. These will take the form of a worksheet. You can find each worksheet and relevant material (eg: data) on Blackboard in the folder for that week. There will also always be a link at the bottom of the lab notes. You have to complete these tasks in order to be able to take the homework quiz (which is assessed). The tasks will always mirror the in-lab activities, so if you get through those, the task should be a breeze.

5) Homework quiz

Each week you will have to complete a homework quiz. This quiz is assessed, and your score on all the quizzes combined counts for 20% of your final mark (the other 80% is your final essay). The questions in the homework quiz will ask about key concepts from your reading, the lectures, and about the answers to the homework task. Make sure that you have finished the task before you begin your homework quiz, and have it with you while you do so. The homework quiz will be available on Blackboard, and will be open as soon as the lab session is finished. It will then close again the morning before the feedback session. You can take the homework quiz any time between these times. You can take it only once. Once you activate the quiz, you will have only 30 minutes to complete it. Please make sure you are in a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed, with your reading notes and your post-lab task with you, so you can complete the homework quiz successfully. Upon submission you will receive immediate feedback.

Don’t forget your homework is graded, and counts towards your final mark. But you get to practice for completing the tasks with the activities in the lab. And if you have time left over, you can always complete these tasks here in the lab. No matter where you do them, by having the tasks completed and with you when you take the quiz, you will be more confident in the homework quiz exercises.

6) Feedback sessions

In the feedback session we will demonstrate how we solve the homework tasks. This should give you an opportunity to see how we go about getting the correct answers, in case you didn’t get there yourself, or to compare your solution with ours. The rest of this hour is made up of live Q & A; it is your chance to ask questions, discuss, and further interrogate the material we cover. We encourage you to bring your own examples to these sessions wherever you encounter them. The initial part of the demonstration of the solution to homework task is recorded, but the Q & A is not. If you cannot attend this live, post your questions on the Blackboard Discussion Board.