CRP 501: METHODS 1

To be an effective planner, you must be able to break down complex real world planning problems into research worthy questions, find and analyze relevant primary and published data, reach conclusions from the analyses, and convincingly present the results to stakeholders and policy-making bodies. These skills are also the prerequisites for writing a good thesis or professional report. Moreover, the widespread use of spreadsheets and statistical programs in the creation, manipulation, analysis, and presentation of information makes it imperative for planners to develop proficiency in such skills. This course is designed to provide you with a practical, working knowledge of quantitative methods of data analysis used in the field of community and regional planning. 

The purpose of the course is to introduce to the fundamental statistics and the various statistical techniques used in planning data analyses.  It emphasizes the collection, description, analysis, presentation, and interpretation of planning data within the context of social science research.  It also provides hands-on opportunities in the use spreadsheet programs (e.g., Excel) and statistical software package, SPSS, to perform various analyses.

COURSE OUTCOMES

This is a graduate level course and by the end of the course, you will be expected to:

§         Understand the scientific basis of social science and planning research

§         Be able to develop research worthy questions, design appropriate research methodology and conduct scientific research

§         Be able to gather and assess the quality and relevance of secondary data

§         Have basic competency in the use of statistical software package (SPSS) and spreadsheet programs (Excel) for analyzing planning problems

§         Develop effective written and oral communication skills