STAT E-150 - Statistical Methods

Spring 2012
Prof. Joan Weinstein
Teaching Assistants and graders: TBA
Please note that the prerequisite for STAT E-150 is successful completion of STAT E-50 (Introduction to
617.285.8677
Required sections TBS
Statistics) or equivalent. Students' preparation for STAT E-150 will be assessed in the first class meeting,
and students will be advised regarding appropriate placement.
Textbook (Required): A Second Course in Statistics: Regression Analysis (7/E) by Mendenhall & Sincich
(Pearson. ISBN: 0321691695). The textbook will be available at the Coop. You will need the textbook as soon as
the course begins, as there will be an assignment the first week.
Recommended: Doing Data Analysis with SPSS: Version 18.0, 5/E by Carver and Nash. (Brooks/Cole. ISBN:
0840049161).
Other necessities: You will need a basic calculator with a square root key. It is not at all necessary to have a
scientific calculator with statistical functions, since you may not use such functions for any assignments or exams.
You also may not use cell phone calculators or PDA calculators for exams. Please be sure to bring your calculator to
each class.
Class handouts: There will be a handout for each weeks class. Handouts will be posted on the Syllabus page of
the course website at least 24 hours before class. Please be sure to print your handout and bring it to class so that
you can participate fully; copies will not be distributed in class.
Course Bulletin Board: The course bulletin board can be used to communicate with the course staff and with
other students. Go to https://ac-web.dce.harvard.edu/ubb to register. Then click on Main Index, and scroll down
to STAT E-150. The bulletin board will be checked regularly to assure that your questions are answered promptly
and that all postings are appropriate and accurate.
Software: We will be using SPSS in class and for most assignments. SPSS is available through Harvard Computer
Services, or you may obtain your own copy. Complete instructions for accessing and using SPSS will be provided.
Homework: There will be weekly homework assignments; which will include both written solutions and results
using SPSS. You may take advantage of the opportunity to submit an assignment up to one week late, but you
may not submit more than two late assignments per semester. No assignments will be accepted more than one
week late.
For each assignment, be sure to read the textbook carefully before doing the exercises to be handed in. Pay
careful attention to the explanations, examples and illustrations in the text; they will serve as additional examples
to prepare you to do the exercises.
Solutions to all assignments will be available on the course website after graded assignments have been returned.
Please note that copying solutions from homework solution keys is a form of academic dishonesty, and will be
reported to the Dean of Students.
Homework assignments may be submitted at the beginning of class, or may be submitted as
scanned pdf files only to a designated dropbox on the course iSite. Please use a filename of the form
HW1 - Lastname.pdf. Do not email assignments to the graders. When you submit an assignment to a dropbox,
please be sure to allow enough time to check that the assignment has been uploaded correctly and completely.
All assignments are due by midnight (Boston time) on the due date.
After your assignment is graded you will be able to check the dropbox to see your grade and any comments from
the grader. This will serve as your record of your homework grades, and the comments will help you to
successfully complete future assignments. Assignments which are not pdf files will not be graded. If you have
questions about grading of an assignment, please be sure to raise the issue within two weeks of the date the
assignment was graded; no adjustments will be considered after that date.

Sections: Weekly section meetings will be scheduled for review and for help with both classwork and homework,
and attendance at section is required. Please see the course website for the schedule of section meetings.
Computer accounts: Information regarding computer accounts, email, and computer facilities can be found at
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2011-12/resources
Examinations: There will be a two-hour midterm examination and a two-hour final examination; both will be open
book. The use of statistical functions on graphing calculators will not be permitted, nor will the use of cell phone
calculators or PDA calculators.
Grading (Undergraduate credit): Your final grade will be the average of your homework grade, your midterm
examination grade, and your final examination grade.
Grading (Graduate students): Graduate students will design and complete an independent assignment; details will
be provided after the midterm exam. This assignment will be worth 20% of your final grade; the remaining 80%
will be the average of your homework grade and your examination grades. Graduate assignments will not be
accepted late.

Spring 2012 Course Schedule

Date

Chapters

Topics

Jan 25

2, 3

Review of Linear Regression; Introduction to SPSS

Feb 1

Simple Linear Regression

Feb 8

Multiple Regression

Feb 15

Multiple Regression

Feb 22

Model Building

Feb 29

6, 7

Mar 7

Midterm Examination

Mar 14

Spring Break

Mar 21

Residual Analysis

10

Mar 28

Special Topics in Regression

11

Apr 4

Special Topics in Regression

12

Apr 11

Special Topics in Regression

13

Apr 18

12

Analysis of Variance

14

Apr 25

12

Analysis of Variance

15

May 2

Review for the final exam

16

May 9

Final exam

Stepwise Regression; Regression Pitfalls