A Quantitative Tour of the Social Sciences

In this book, prominent social scientists describe quantitative models in economics, history, sociology, political science, and psychology.

Andrew Gelman (Edited by), Jeronimo Cortina (Edited by)

9780521680035, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 6 April 2009

366 pages, 49 b/w illus. 32 tables 63 exercises
23.1 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.54 kg

'Despite the commonalities in the questions they seek to answer, researchers in different social sciences tend to use very different methods, often embarrassingly ignorant of what their colleagues in other fields are doing. Based partly on a lecture course at Columbia University designed to remedy this, the Gelman and Cortina collection provides a lucid and readable introduction to the methodological approaches in the different social sciences. Reading this will help empirical researchers in all social sciences broaden their understanding of quantitative methods, and help them choose their methods on the merits, rather that on the basis of what is fashionable in their own field.' Guido W. Imbens, Professor of Economics, Harvard University

Social scientists become experts in their own disciplines but aren't always familiar with what is going on in neighboring fields. To foster a deeper understanding of the interconnection of the social sciences, economists should know where historical data come from, sociologists should know how to think like economists, political scientists would benefit from understanding how models are tested in psychology, historians should learn how political processes are studied, psychologists should understand sociological theories, and so forth. This overview by prominent social scientists gives an accessible, non-technical sense of how quantitative research is done in different areas. Readers will find out about models and ways of thinking in economics, history, sociology, political science, and psychology, which in turn they can bring back to their own work.

1. Models and methods in the social sciences Andrew Gelman
2. History Herbert Klein and Charles Stockley
3. Economics Richard Clarida and Marta Noguer
4. Sociology Seymour Spilerman and Emanuele Gerratana
5. Political science Charles Cameron
6. Psychology E. Tory Higgins, Elke Weber, and Heidi Grant
7. To treat or not to treat: casual inference in the social science Jeronimo Cortina.

Subject Areas: Probability & statistics [PBT], Social research & statistics [JHBC], Research methods: general [GPS]