This course is an introduction to quantitative data analysis for policy and regulation. Designed to provide a foundational overview of empirical research design and to learn elementary techniques of data analysis, the course provides participants with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to commission and utilise empirical research. The course also provides an overview of a broad range of statistical techniques and their applications to answer different types of research questions.
Each session will conclude with an in-class activity. These activities are designed to reinforce the course content and to give participants an opportunity to apply their new knowledge to their own research interests and engage in a peer review.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Formulate a quantitative research question and identify an appropriate research design to examine the question.
- Understand several types of research designs for causal inference in social sciences.
- Develop quantitative data analysis literacy to undertake critical evaluation of methodological issues and problems in existing quantitative research.
Other Information
This course is targeted towards those who commission or utilise quantitative research to design, implement and analyse social policy, and achieve regulatory goals.
Indicative Assessment
- Active participation in-class (during course over the 6 weeks) (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- 1,000 word precis on one of the Recommended or Additional readings assigned to this course (during week 2-6) (20) [LO 2,3]
- Preparation work for Final assignment - 1,000 words working paper (during week 3) (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Critical analysis of a peer-reviewed quantitative journal article related to a regulatory or governance topic (max 2,000 words including footnotes) (50) [LO 1,2,3]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Students need to commit to 75 hours of total learning time made up from:
a) 15 hours of contact: 2.5 hours per week x 6 weeks; and
b) 61 hours of preparation, independent study, and assessment tasks.
Prescribed Texts
n/a
Preliminary Reading
David Spiegelhalter, The Art of Statistics: Learning From Data. Pelican, 2019.
Steve Selvin, The Joy of Statistics: A Treasury of Elementary Statistical Tools and their Applications, Oxford 2019.
Alan Graham, Statistics: An Introduction. Hodder Education, 2017
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 3 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 3.00 | 0.06250 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Campus | ||||||
| 5285 | 01 Apr 2026 | 24 Apr 2026 | 24 Apr 2026 | 30 Jun 2026 | In Person | N/A |
| 5329 | 01 Apr 2026 | 24 Apr 2026 | 24 Apr 2026 | 30 Jun 2026 | Online | N/A |