Quantitative methods in the humanities

Link al trailer del corso: https://www.edvance.it/edvance/
Target: studentesse e studenti di CdS magistrali
Lingua: eng
Il corso appartiene ad una serie?: No
Breve Descrizione:

Quantitative Methods in the Humanities introduces Master’s and PhD students to the fundamentals of quantitative research within humanistic disciplines. Designed for those with no prior background in statistics, the course explores how data can be collected, interpreted, and used to support research in fields such as history, literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. Through a structured sequence of modules, students learn the distinction between qualitative and quantitative approaches, the basics of statistical reasoning, and how to design and analyze simple case studies. The course emphasises clarity, accessibility, and relevance, offering practical insights into descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as an introduction to tools and methods used in contemporary digital research.
Informazioni Base:
  1. Quantitative and Qualitative
    1. Qualitative and quantitative methods
    2. Examples from various disciplines in the humanities
    3. What counts as data?
  2. Understanding Data
    1. Back to the research workflow
    2. What is statistics?
    3. Variables, categories, and levels of measurement
    4. A case study
  3. Designing a Statistical Study
    1. Designing a statistical study
      1. Formulating a research question
      2. Variables and research design
      3. Accountability
    2. Organising your data
  4. Descriptive Statistics
    1. What is descriptive statistics
    2. Measures of central tendency
      1. The mode
      2. The median
      3. The mean
      4. The mean vs the median
    3. Visualising distributions
      1. Barplots
      2. Histograms
      3. Boxplots
    4. Measures of dispersion
  5. Inferential Statistics
    1. What is inferential statistics
    2. A case study: testing association between categorical variables
    3. Formulating the hypothesis
    4. The chi-square test
    5. Effect size
    6. Cramer’s V
    7. The final report
    8. How Are These Statistics Calculated? 
Risultati Attesi:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative approaches in humanistic research.
  • Identify different types of data relevant to the humanities and understand how to analyse them quantitatively
  • Describe key statistical concepts, including variables, measurement levels, and the logic of statistical testing.
  • Design a basic quantitative study, from formulating a research question to selecting appropriate data and statistical methods.
  • Apply descriptive statistics to summarize and visualize data.
  • Interpret the results of simple inferential tests (e.g., chi-square) within the context of humanities research.
  • Critically read a published quantitative study in the humanities, recognizing its methodological choices and their implications.
Strategia di valutazione:

Quiz assessment.
Attività Base:

Exercises and quizzes will be available to help you assess your level of learning and reinforce what you've learned.
Prerequisiti:

No prerequisites.
Livello EQF: EQF Level 6
ISCED-F: 022 Humanities (except languages)
Categoria: Arte e discipline umanistiche
SDGs: QUALITY EDUCATION
Docenti:

Eugenio Goria
Carico Lavoro Totale (in ore/settimana): 6
Numero settimane del corso: 1
Contatti:

eugenio.goria@unito.it

For technical inquiries:
edvancedeh@unito.it