Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This beginner course in statistics introduces you to the principles behind the many statistical practices such as sampling, variables, and inference, and shows how these concepts fit into the research design process. It helps to build a mental map to enable you to work your way through statistical tests and procedures.

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Identify and recognize the different types of variables and the considerations involved in choosing types of variables
    2. Interpret and summarize a set of values for a variable
    3. Identify relationships between variables in graphs
    4. Ask the right questions about relationships between variables and describe their presence, their sign, and their strength
    5. Identify how the process of sampling determines the degree of uncertainty you will have in your result
    6. Choose a suitable form of sampling for your projects, evaluating the degree of uncertainty in your chosen form of sampling
    7. Describe what happens to uncertainty in statistical analysis
    8. Apply a null hypothesis test, evaluate the results, and recognize the limitations of null hypothesis testing
    9. Select the appropriate statistics test for your research, explain the logical structure of a statistics test and results, and report these results

    • Course Instructor: Professor Roger Watt

      Professor Roger Watt

      Roger Watt was a Professor of Psychology at the University of Stirling for 32 years and is now Emeritus Professor there. He has done research and taught in many areas of psychology, and focussed in the second half of his career on teaching research methods. Before moving to Stirling he was a Scientist with the Medical Research Council in Cambridge. In 1995 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his scientific research and leadership in Psychology. In teaching Statistics at Stirling to psychology students, he introduced a number of innovations, including novel methods of delivery some of which contributed to Stirling being attracting the inaugural BPS Award for Innovation in Psychology Programmes in 2014. He has a long-standing involvement in the impact of his discipline and research. He was appointed as an expert witness for the Cullen Inquiry and was personally credited with establishing the most likely cause of the Ladbroke Grove train disaster. During his time at Stirling, he was twice the Head of Department in Psychology and was also Dean of Human Sciences for 4 years. He is the proudest grandfather on the planet and is also an amateur trumpet player, baker, and gardener.

      • Course Resources

        You will need to access certain files and resources throughout the course to get the most out of the activities. You can find them all here.   

      • Video Transcripts

        You can access all video transcripts here.

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence.  

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: Variables

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Identify variables   
          2. Recognize the different types of variables

        • Module Two: Values and Summaries of Variables

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Identify the considerations involved in choosing types of variables   
          2. Interpret the values of a variable 
          3. Summarize a set of values 

        • Module Three: Relationships Between Variables

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Identify relationships between variables by using graphs   
          2. Ask the right questions about relationships   
          3. Describe a relationship between variables: its presence, its sign, and its strength 

        • Module Four: Sampling

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Identify how the process of sampling determines the degree of uncertainty you will have in your result   
          2. Choose a suitable form of sampling for a project   
          3. Evaluate the degree of uncertainty in any chosen form of sampling   

        • Module Five: Inference and the Null Hypothesis

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Describe what happens to uncertainty in statistical analysis 
          2. Apply a null hypothesis test and evaluate the results   
          3. Recognize the limitations of null hypothesis testing   

        • Module Six: Doing Tests and Reporting Results

          This module will help you to: 

          1. Recognize the process for conducting a statistics test and obtaining results   
          2. Select the appropriate statistics test for your research   
          3. Report the results of a statistical test   

        • Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.  

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now.  

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence? 

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience. 

            • Accessibility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus. 

              Additionally, please refer to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement which outlines our commitment to high standards of DEI on Sage Campus.