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Data Analysis

A.Y. 2019/2020
3
Max ECTS
20
Overall hours
SSD
INF/01
Language
English
Learning objectives
Aim of the course is to gain a series of basic competences for retrieving, treating, analysing and presenting qualitative and quantitative information. More in detail, students will learn how to perform queries in digital catalogues, as well as in online datahubs with political, economic and juridical data, and how to download the relevant information in different formats. Furthermore, they will further learn how to use the most common electronic spreadsheets to catalogue, analyse and present those data.
Expected learning outcomes
After taking this course students should be familiar with the Unimi electronic databases, and will be able to download research articles and access datasets. They will know how to pose a (research) question and download relevant data published by international organization and institutes such as IMF, WB, OECD, WGI, Eurostat, Eurobarometer, etc.. Finally, they will be able to describe and communicate findings of simple descriptive analyses using graphs and tables produced with Microsoft Excel.

Lesson period: First trimester

Lessons timetable

Assessment methods: Giudizio di approvazione
Assessment result: superato/non superato

Exams calendar

Single course

This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.

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Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Lesson period
First trimester
Course syllabus
1. Introduction to the course and the laboratories and information about the software; Unimi electronic resources; how to find and download books, research articles, and newswires through Unimi databases; major internet databases to look for economic, political and legal resources.
2. Data, variables, and measurement level: nominal, ordinal, and interval variables.
3. How to describe a variable.
4. Structure and format of Excel.
5. Data entry and import with Excel.
6. Data management with Excel: sorting, filtering, and formatting data.
7. Conditional formatting, removing duplicates, formulas, and absolute/relative references in Excel.
8. Computing the main descriptive statistics using Excel formulas.
9. Analysing data with Excel pivotTables: creating a pivotTable; computing descriptive statistics by group; craeting a frequency distribution; two-way tables; pivotGraphs.
10. Creating graphs in Excel and how to present figures and tables.
Prerequisites for admission
There are no preliminary requirements different from those requested for the registration to the bachelor's degree.
Teaching methods
Lectures and laboratories. Course material (slides, labs exercises and data) will be available on Ariel at the following address: https://fviscontida.ariel.ctu.unimi.it.
Teaching Resources
Slides and handouts provided by the instructor.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attendance to the course is mandatory and will be checked using attendance sheets. Students who attend less than 80% of the classes will not be allowed to take the exam as attendees. The assessment relies on a computer-based exam in the laboratory. The exam consists of practical exercises using Microsoft Excel lasting 45 minutes for attendees and 75 minutes for non-attendees. The latter will also have to answer a written exam with open-ended and yes-and-no questions on descriptive statistics and Microsoft Excel. The final grade will be passed or not passed.
INF/01 - INFORMATICS - University credits: 3
Basic computer skills: 20 hours
Professor: Visconti Francesco
Shifts:
-
Professor: Visconti Francesco