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Marsh 1982
Catherine Marsh
The survey method : the contribution of surveys to sociological explanation
(Allen and Unwin, 1982)
This excellent book is now out of print: I lent mine to a student in 1985 and am still waiting for her to return it. You can still find second-hand copies via Amazon (but they've got the title wrong): I've just purchased a replacement copy for £0.01 (plus £2.80 p&p) There should be a sign to hang on doors:
"The tutor who lends books has just gone out to buy some more!"
The survey method : the contribution of surveys to sociological explanation
(Allen and Unwin, 1982)
This excellent book is now out of print: I lent mine to a student in 1985 and am still waiting for her to return it. You can still find second-hand copies via Amazon (but they've got the title wrong): I've just purchased a replacement copy for £0.01 (plus £2.80 p&p) There should be a sign to hang on doors:
"The tutor who lends books has just gone out to buy some more!"
Marsh & Elliott 2008
Catherine Marsh & Jane Elliott
Exploring Data
(2nd edition, Polity Press, 2008, with associated website )
Chapter 1 is available as a free pdf download. The rest of the book includes the following:
Part I Single Variables
1 Distributions and Variables
2 Numerical Summaries of Level and Spread
3 Scaling and Standardizing
4 Inequality
5 Smoothing Time Series
Part II Relationships between Two Variables
6 Percentage Tables
7 Analysing Contingency Tables
8 Handling Several Batches
9 Scatterplots and Resistant Lines
10 Transformations
Part III Introducing a Third Variable
11 Causal Explanations
12 Three-Variable Contingency Tables and Beyond
13 Longitudinal Data
This is really a book about the process and logic of survey analysis rather than a course in SPSS, but it makes intensive use of SPSS (release 13) to analyse data from major British government surveys such as the General Household Survey (2005), the National Child Development Survey, the New Earnings Survey and the British Crime Survey. It follows a logical progression from analysing one variable, moves on to two variables and then to three (many) variables. All statistical procedures are preceded by an explanation of the initial research problem and why each procedure and/or test is appropriate, before presenting SPSS commands and output. It is particularly good on causal explanations.
It is included here not only because it's an excellent book, but also because I appointed Cathie Marsh to her first research post in 1974, as a trainee in the SSRC Survey Unit (where she learned SPSS working on the Quality of Life in Britain and other surveys). When SSRC closed the unit in 1976, she became a Lecturer in Sociology at Cambridge and in 1990 moved to Manchester where she was instrumental in setting up up the Centre for Census and Survey Research. She died on 1 Jan 1993, aged 41, and the Centre is now named after her.
Exploring Data
(2nd edition, Polity Press, 2008, with associated website )
Chapter 1 is available as a free pdf download. The rest of the book includes the following:
Part I Single Variables
1 Distributions and Variables
2 Numerical Summaries of Level and Spread
3 Scaling and Standardizing
4 Inequality
5 Smoothing Time Series
Part II Relationships between Two Variables
6 Percentage Tables
7 Analysing Contingency Tables
8 Handling Several Batches
9 Scatterplots and Resistant Lines
10 Transformations
Part III Introducing a Third Variable
11 Causal Explanations
12 Three-Variable Contingency Tables and Beyond
13 Longitudinal Data
This is really a book about the process and logic of survey analysis rather than a course in SPSS, but it makes intensive use of SPSS (release 13) to analyse data from major British government surveys such as the General Household Survey (2005), the National Child Development Survey, the New Earnings Survey and the British Crime Survey. It follows a logical progression from analysing one variable, moves on to two variables and then to three (many) variables. All statistical procedures are preceded by an explanation of the initial research problem and why each procedure and/or test is appropriate, before presenting SPSS commands and output. It is particularly good on causal explanations.
It is included here not only because it's an excellent book, but also because I appointed Cathie Marsh to her first research post in 1974, as a trainee in the SSRC Survey Unit (where she learned SPSS working on the Quality of Life in Britain and other surveys). When SSRC closed the unit in 1976, she became a Lecturer in Sociology at Cambridge and in 1990 moved to Manchester where she was instrumental in setting up up the Centre for Census and Survey Research. She died on 1 Jan 1993, aged 41, and the Centre is now named after her.
