Friday
Selected Sociology departments in United Kingdom
Dept of Social Statistics, Univ of Southampton, UK
Dept of Social Statistics, Univ of Southampton. Site contains details of teaching - Degrees in Population Studies and Economics with Actuarial Studies - and research programmes.
http://www.socstats.soton.ac.uk
Lancaster University
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/sociology/
London School of Economics
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/sociology/
Manchester Metropolitan University
http://www.sociology.mmu.ac.uk/
The Open University
Details of research and courses in the sociology discipline at the UK's Open University
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/sociology/
The School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent
Departmental Website: Information of Courses, Staff, Research in Sociology at Kent. Online papers.
http://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/
University of Bradford
http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/socsci/
University of Cambridge
http://www.cam.ac.uk/CambUniv/UGProspectus/Courses/SocPolSci.html
University of Durham
http://www.dur.ac.uk/Sociology/
University of Edinburgh
http://www.ed.ac.uk/~sociol/
University of Essex
Information about courses, research, staff and activities of the Deprtment of Sociology, University of Essex.
http://www.essex.ac.uk/sociology/index.htm
University of Exeter
http://www.ex.ac.uk/shipss/sociology/
University of Leeds
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sociology/sociolog.htm
University of Liverpool
Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work Studies, The University of Liverpool
http://www.liv.ac.uk/sspsw/
Thursday
SEARCA Master and PhD Scholarships, annual deadline 1/4 and 1/9
PhD Research Scholarship
Launched in November 2005, the SEARCA PhD Research Scholarship provides financial support to a limited number of qualified PhD students whose researches are relevant to the priority thrusts of SEARCA.
This scholarship program aims to:
- Provide PhD students the opportunity to use the resources and facilities available at SEARCA and its network of universities for their research;
- Produce quality research papers for publication; and
- Enable them to work with SEARCA's R&D personnel on mutually identified areas of concerns/interests in agriculture and rural development.
Any graduate student who is a citizen of any SEAMEO member country and pursuing a PhD in agriculture or related sciences from any university in the world is eligible to apply for the scholarship.
The applicant must have already completed his/her course work with an approved dissertation proposal and is ready to conduct the dissertation research.
The applicant’s research must focus on any of SEARCA’s priority thrusts under the broad themes of natural resource management and promotion of agricultural competitiveness.
The application requirements are:
- Filled out Application Form (see below);
- Letter of application for the research scholarship;
- Recommendation letter from the Dean of Graduate School of the university where the student is pursuing his/her degree program;
- Dissertation research outline/proposal approved by the Advisory Committee and Dean of Graduate School;
- Budgetary requirement for the entire research duly attested and recommended by the major adviser and Dean of Graduate School;
- Certified transcript of academic records for all courses taken at the PhD level;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Letter from the student certifying that he/she is not receiving any other research grant from any other institution. If partial funding has been obtained from other sources, a certification from the funding agency indicating the amount of grant and the items in the research that are covered by the grant; and
- Research timetable indicating the activities involved in the research, the expected date of defense and expected date of seminar paper presentation.
Application deadlines are 1 April and 1 September.
Applications should be addressed to:
Dr. Editha C. Cedicol
Manager
Graduate Scholarship Department
SEARCA, Los Baños 4031 Laguna, PhilippinesDownload
SEARCA PhD Research Scholarship application form.
PhD Research Scholarship Invitation for Applications for SY 2007-08.
SEARCA :: Graduate Scholarship :: Regular MS/PhD Scholarships :: PhD Research Scholarship
Tuesday
Fertility transitions in developing countries: Progress or stagnation?
We are pleased to announce that two new working papers (2007, No. 7 and 8) have just been posted online. The abstracts and links to the full text of the papers are provided below. Please feel free to share these working papers with interested colleagues or to suggest names to be added to our email notification list.
The working paper series is now part of the Poverty, Gender, and Youth Program. This is one of the three programs in the restructuring of the Population Council that is described on the Council website (www.popcouncil.org). Through the Poverty, Gender, and Youth program, Population Council staff members seek to understand the social dimensions of poverty, the determinants and consequences of gender inequality, the disparities that arise during adolescence, and the critical elements of a successful transition to adulthood in developing countries. Program activities also include developing and evaluating innovative programs--especially those related to empowerment, health, education, and livelihoods--to address the needs of the poor, women and youth in particular. Program staff also continue the Council’s long-standing tradition of providing demographic analysis of the links between population growth and development at the macro and micro levels.
For information on papers in the PGY series and the predecessor Policy Research Division series, including those that are available for downloading in PDF format, see www.popcouncil.org/publications/wp/index.html.
2 PhD Positions in Legal Science at Lund University, deadline 2 April 2008
Lund University invites applications for:
2 Research Student Positions in Legal Science at the Department of Law
starting 1 September 2008 (or on a date mutually agreed upon).
The Faculty of Law is one of the areas of education and research at Lund University
and operates through an integrated departmental and faculty structure. The faculty has
around 120 staff members, approximately 2,000 students enrolled in first and second cycle
courses and programs and around 30 research students. Information about
the faculty can be found at www.jur.lu.se.
Monday
PhD scholarships at Aarhus University, deadline 13/May/2008
The Department of Language and Business Communication at the Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, invites applications for 1-3 PhD scholarships. The successful candidates will be expected to take up appointment by 1 August 2008 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The Department of Language and Business Communication is a large department which is primarily engaged in business-oriented humanities education and research. Our research focuses on various aspects of business language and communication, including corporate communication and LSP text production, reception and translation. In addition, the department is involved in the teaching of ASB programmes in business language (English, German, Spanish and French), corporate communication, and European studies.
For a complete overview of the department’s research and teaching areas, please see the department website: http://www.asb.dk/isek.
We invite applications for projects on language and/or communication in business contexts.
The projects must focus on either
1) the use of English, German, Spanish or French in technical, legal, economic or other business contexts, possibly as contrasted with Danish, or
2) corporate communication, preferably as used in one of the geographical areas in which one of the languages mentioned is spoken and possibly as contrasted with Danish.
We are particularly interested in projects within the area of English language and communication for business or other specialised purposes. An area of special interest to the department is technical English. Therefore projects to be based on English-language data will be given priority.
As regards projects to be based on German-language data, we are interested in proposals within corporate communication; and as regards projects envisaging the use of French data, we are especially interested in proposals on the use of French in technical or economic contexts.
In any case, the proposed projects must be compatible with the research profile of one of the following research groups/centres at the department:
• Knowledge Communication: www.asb.dk/knowledge
• Translation & Interpreting: www.asb.dk/translation
• Corporate Communication: www.asb.dk/corpcom
Please click the English flag for an English version of the research group websites.
The department is interested in ambitious applicants who will contribute to the further development of the academic and social environment of the department through innovative research and personal commitment.
Applicants must have a Master’s degree in English, German, Spanish or French, depending on the language involved in the proposed project.
In line with the priority we give to projects based on English-language data, we will give priority to candidates with a Master’s degree in English, preferably in English for special purposes.
More information about being a doctoral student at our department is available at: http://www.asb.dk/about/departments/isek/forskning/phd.aspx.
? A PhD student in Denmark must complete an individually planned PhD course programme within the relevant research group/centre and conduct a research project under the supervision of experienced senior researchers.
? The PhD student is also expected, as part of the programme, to spend some time (up to six months), with coverage of travel and accommodation expenses, at another – often foreign – research institution. During the programme, the PhD student is further expected to gain teaching experience within the subject area as well as experience with other forms of dissemination of research results.
? ASB also finances participation in relevant PhD courses and scientific conferences.
? In addition, it is expected that PhD students participate in and contribute to the other activities of the department.
Conditions of employment
A PhD scholarship has a duration of three years. Graduates and students expecting to complete their study programme in the near future may apply for the scholarships. The employment is covered by a national collective agreement.
The applicant’s research potential will be the determining factor for a positive academic assessment. Exam results will also be assessed. For further information on admission criteria and ASB’s PhD programme, please go to: http://www.asb.dk/research/phd.aspx
Application
The application must be submitted on a special application form which can be downloaded from: http://www.hha.dk/sekr/fuu/anskemaeng.doc or requested from Kirsten Hedegaard Fynsk,
tel. +45 8948 6567, email: PhD@asb.dk.
The following material must be submitted:
• Application form (scholarship no.544-0115)
• Project description (max. 5 pages), including the expected theoretical and methodological approach.
• Graduate diploma (including a list of all grades)
• CV
• Other material, if any (e.g. publications), which should be taken into account in the assessment
The application and attachments must be submitted in sets (without binding) in five copies by ordinary mail to Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, Management Office, Fuglesangs Allé 4, 8210 Aarhus V, Denmark, Attn.: Kirsten Fynsk Hedegaard, or via e-mail to PhD@asb.dk.
Contact information
If you have any questions about the scholarship or other technical or administrative queries, please feel free to contact Henrik Scriver, deputy head, tel. +45 8948 6560, email: hsc@asb.dk.
? Depending on the nature of the research project, questions about the preparation of the project description may be directed to one of the following directors of research:
• Head of the ASB Research Group for Knowledge Communication, Associate Professor Peter Kastberg, pk@asb.dk
• Head of the ASB Research Group for Translation and Interpreting, Associate Professor Karen Korning Zethsen, kkz@asb.dk
• Director of the ASB Centre for Corporate Communication, Professor Finn Frandsen, ff@asb.dk.
? General questions about the projects or the Department's research may be directed to Head of Department Helle V. Dam, hd@asb.dk.
Deadline for application
Tuesday 13 May 2008 at 12:00 noon.
The applications will subsequently be assessed by an expert assessment committee, and applicants will receive the committee’s assessment of their own approximately one month after the expiry of the deadline for application.
Candidates who, according to the expert assessment committee, are qualified for a scholarship may be invited for an interview.
The assessment of the application comprises an overall assessment of the applicant's qualifications. Particular weight is attached to the project proposal, the grades obtained by the applicant in the study programme, and to whether the applicant, during the study programme or in another manner, has displayed special skills in writing major papers, e.g. a thesis.
Aarhus School of Business is part of University of Aarhus. It currently has 480 permanent employees, including 240 researchers. ASB holds the international EQUIS accreditation awarded by the EFMD (European Foundation of Management Development).
Researchers at ASB cover most fields of research in management, economics, business communication and law. ASB has developed a large international network in these fields.
More than 7,000 students are enrolled at the university. Study programmes include six-semester bachelor programmes, four-semester master’s programmes and three-year full-time PhD programmes as well as part-time MBA and diploma courses.
The scientific staff of the Department of Language and Business Communication includes almost 50 researchers of whom 6 are full professors. There are also a number of PhD students and research assistants.
Further information about Aarhus School of Business can be found at: www.asb.dk
University of Aarhus: www.au.dk
Sunday
Welcome Trust Training Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Purpose:
This scheme provides researchers from developing countries - who are at an early stage in the establishment of their research careers - with opportunities for research experience and high-quality research training relevant to health in developing countries.
Research projects must be in the area of public health or tropical medicine, aimed at understanding and controlling human and animal diseases of local, national or global health importance. Some fundamental biomedical studies are acceptable, but projects focused solely on in vitro or animal model studies will not normally be considered under this scheme.
This fellowship is part of a series of career awards aimed at building sustainable capacity in areas of research that have the potential for increasing health benefits for people and their livestock in developing countries.
Eligibility
Applications are only accepted in the Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee remit. This covers research on infectious and non-communicable diseases within the fields of public health and tropical medicine that is aimed at understanding and controlling human and animal diseases of local, national or global health importance.
You must be a national or legal resident of a developing country and should be either:
- a graduate in a subject relevant to public health or tropical medicine (e.g. biomedical or social science, veterinary medicine, physics, chemistry or mathematics) with a PhD and no more than three years' postdoctoral experience, or
- a medical graduate with a higher qualification equivalent to membership of the UK Royal Colleges of Physicians (i.e. qualified to enter higher specialist training) and some initial research experience.
Please note that researchers based in the restructuring countries of Europe and Asia are not eligible to apply for this scheme.
Non-clinical candidates who do not have a PhD but who are educated to first degree or Master's level and have research experience equivalent to a PhD, as evidenced by their publication record, may be considered.
Due allowance will be given to those whose career has been affected, either by a late start or by interruption for personal or family reasons.
You must be based primarily in a developing country, but training may be undertaken at centres of excellence regionally or internationally. Links between developing countries are encouraged.
You may apply to remain in their current laboratory (even if you already hold an established post), to return to one where you have previously worked, or to move to a new laboratory, in a developing country.
In general, fellowships may be held in 'not for profit' institutions that are able to sign up to the Trust's Grant Conditions. Institutions that have not previously received significant funding from the Trust will be required to submit information to enable us to assess eligibility. Applications will not be considered by the relevant Funding Committee until all eligibility checks have been completed.
We do not normally accept resubmissions of fellowship applications.
Sponsorship and supervision
You must be based at an eligible sponsoring institution in a developing country that will administer the fellowship for the full tenure of the award. You must have an appropriate sponsor who holds an established post for the duration of the fellowship and has a track record in research and research training.
Your sponsor must be able to guarantee that space and facilities will be made available for you. Your sponsor is expected to support you in your research and to ensure that you will be released from the majority of your administrative and teaching commitments to enable you to focus on research.
The time permitted for clinical duties or other non-research activity during the fellowship is normally restricted to a maximum of eight hours each week.
An additional sponsor(s) must be identified for periods outside the host institution, i.e. the institution(s) where periods of training will take place.
You must identify appropriate supervisors who will provide independent support, mentorship and advice in all relevant research areas throughout the application process and for the duration of the fellowship award.
A sponsor may be nominated as a supervisor where appropriate.
Sponsors and supervisors are advised to read all the scheme information provided here.
Friday
Full scholarships at M.S. in International Health Policy and Management, USA, deadline 31/03/08
The Master of Science in International Health Policy and Management (IHPM) Program is pleased to announce a competition in which a full tuition and fees scholarship will be awarded to an early- to mid-level career development professional with a demonstrated commitment to effective health policy and management.
The IHPM Scholar will receive full tuition and fee remission for the one-year degree program. The scholarship does NOT cover airfare or any living expenses. Although nominations are encouraged from international and governmental development institutions and NGOs, self-nominations are accepted. Women, and candidates with experience in health policy, service delivery or education-related work with poor and vulnerable populations, are especially encouraged to apply.
The application deadline is March 31, 2008.
Click to view full announcement (PDF).
Sociology at Essex University ranked higher than Cambridge
Sociology department at Essex is at the top at this moment. It was ranked 5 twice (one in 1996 and one in 2001). Therefore, in the table it is marked with 5* - also called '6 stars', one level higher than Cambridge.
Annually the department offers some PhD scholarships for top qualified international students.
Sunday
Meanings versus Numbers: Qualitative analysis
Let us say we have 10 interviews of 10 men. People doing qualitative analysis are often confused with sentences like "Some men said that", "Many said that...". They are even worried if it does matter if only few men said some thing.
It is a typical confusion in qualitative analysis, however. The common question is: Should I count the number of men who says something, or should I count the number of meanings mentioned by those men?
The answer is entirely at your research design. If you are doing a semi-structured, qualitative research, it sounds acceptable when you counts the number of MEN who say something. However, the 'statistics' (sum, percent) you get at the end should not be abused. In other words, you can only use the statistics to say about similarity/difference within that particular group of men, not any larger population. The nature of your research is, still, qualitative.
If you are doing an ethnographic study, you should not count the MEN who mention issue A, but the MEANINGS they associated with issue A. Why? Because, you are interested in representativeness of meanings, rather than population.
Let us say 10 men when said about issue A, they gave 25 meanings.
You should never be worried about: how many men said a meaning of issue A.
But, you should care about: whether the given meanings are all, or at least most, 'attributes' of issue A. Furthermore, you should be able to see that men with different characteristics associated different 'attributes' (meanings) to issue A.
Wednesday
Making SPSS and Excel files readable in SAS
Sometimes you have to move between these different analysis programs, but don't know how to convert a file.
There are functions within SPSS and Excel, SAS to help you convert it. In addition, there is another tool you can use: N2MPlus.
The software allows you convert a SPSS or Excel file into a text file, which then can be used in SAS. The advantage is that you can choose just some variables you are interested in.
Step 1: Download and install it
Step 2: Choose a file to convert
Step 3: Choose a definition for missing values
Step 4: Choose all or some variables you like
Step 5: Go!
Step 6: Go back to the folder where you picked the original file. The newly created file, with selected variables, is there.
Step 7: In SAS, key in the address of the newly created file, and RUN.
Calculating sample size
This topic is rather complicated. But there are tools out there that help us do the job. If you just need to know the sample size, just follow the formula strictly.
All we need to consider:
Alpha level = type I error = the level at which you predict that your rejection of the null hypothesis may go wrong. Of course this level should be as low as possible. By definition, it should be at least as low as 0.05. At this level you predict that there is only 5% of chance that your rejection of null hypothesis goes wrong.
Predictors = independent variables = explanatory variables. It can be sex, age, number of children, whatsoever, but you have to make a decision of how many predictors will be there in your sample.
Statistical Power level = by default, it should be .8 or more. I will go back to this issue in a later time.
Anticipated size effect (f2) = choose between 0.02, 0.15, 0.35. Why? I will go back to this later.
Tuesday
Interaction
A graphical depiction of a statistical interaction in which the extent to which experience impacts cost depends on decision time.
In statistics, an interaction is a term in a statistical model added when the effect of two or more variables is not simply additive. Such a term reflects that the effect of one variable depends on the values of one or more other variables.
Thus, for a response Y and two variables x1 and x2 an additive model would be:
In contrast to this,
is an example of a model with an interaction between variables x1 and x2 ("error" refers to the random variable whose value by which y differs from the expected value of y).
Very often the interacting variables are categorical variables rather than real numbers. For example, members of a population may be classified by religion and by occupation. If one wishes to predict a person's height based only on the person's religion and occupation, a simple additive model, i.e., a model without interaction, would add to an overall average height an adjustment for a particular religion and another for a particular occupation. A model with interaction, unlike an additive model, could add a further adjustment for the "interaction" between that religion and that occupation. This example may cause one to suspect that the word interaction is something of a misnomer.
The consequence of an interaction is that the effect of one variable depends on the value of another. This has implications in design of experiments as it is misleading to vary one factor at a time.
Real-world examples of systems that manifest interactions include:
- Interaction between adding sugar to coffee and stirring the coffee. Neither of the two individual variables has much effect on sweetness but a combination of the two does.
- Interaction between adding carbon to steel and quenching. Neither of the two individually has much effect on strength but a combination of the two has a dramatic effect.
Genichi Taguchi contended that interactions could be eliminated from a system by appropriate choice of response variable and transformation. However George Box and others have argued that this is not the case in general.
(From Wikipedia)
Weighted Mean in Statistics
There are several ways to know 'the average' in statistics. One of them is to calculate the weighted mean. We will do this when different values of a certain variable have different levels of 'importance'.
Suppose we want to know the average length of stay of hospitalized patients in a district.
We know that there are two hospitals in the district, one is A, the other is B.
We also know the discharge time in hospital A and B is 2 and 3 days, respectively.
Last 7 days, hospital A has 230 visitors, while hospital B has 100 visitor.
We can calculate the mean:
Mean = (2+3)/2 = 2.5 days.
But we also note that the number of visitors in two hospitals are different. We want to take this into account. We can now calculate the weighted mean by using 'number of visitor in each hospital' as a weight.
Here we have weight for hospital A = 230, and weight for hospital B = 100.
Weighted mean = (value1*weight1 + value2*weight2)/(weight1 + weight2)
Where "value" is the discharge time, we have value1 (or discharge time in hospital A) is 2 days, value2 (or discharge time in hospital B) is 3 days.
weight1 (note that weight1 is the weight associated with value1) is 230, weight2 (note that weight2 is the weight associated with value2) is 100.
We have:
Weighted mean = (2*230 + 3*100)/(230+100) = 2.3 days. The weighted mean is lower than the mean we have calculated above because we have taken the difference in visitors in our consideration.
Now, it's just like when you calculate your GPA: Imagine you study Sociology and Psychology. You want to know the average mark of these two subjects.
In sociology, you got 7, the subject gives you 10 credits.
In psychology, the subject gives you 8 credit, you got 5.
It is certainly not fair if somebody says you got only 6 on average.
To get a fair result, you should 'weight' for the credits.
Weighted mean = (7*10 + 5*8)/(10+8) = 120/18 = 6.66
In this case the weighed mean is larger than the 'normal' mean.
Monday
Free Statistical Software
This page contains links to free software packages that you can download and install on your computer for stand-alone (offline, non-Internet) computing. They are listed below, under the following general headings:
- General Packages: support a wide variety of statistical analyses
- Subset Packages: deal with a specific area of analysis, or a limited set of tests
- Curve Fitting and Modeling: to handle complex, nonlinear models and systems
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology: especially useful in the life sciences
- Surveys, Testing and Measurement: especially useful in the business and social sciences
- Excel Spreadsheets and Add-ins: you need a recent version of Excel
- Programming Languages and Subroutine Libraries: customized for statistical calculations; you need to learn the appropriate syntax
- Scripts and Macros: for scriptable packages, like SAS, SPSS, R, etc.
- Miscellaneous: don't fit into any of the other categories
- Other Collections of Links to Free Software
How to choose a statistical test
Intuitive Biostatistics: Choosing a statistical test
This is chapter 37 of Intuitive Biostatistics (ISBN 0-19-508607-4) by Harvey Motulsky. Copyright © 1995 by Oxford University Press Inc. All rights reserved. You may order the book from GraphPad Software with a software purchase, from any academic bookstore, or from amazon.com.
Learn how to interpret the results of statistical tests and about our programs GraphPad InStat and GraphPad Prism.
REVIEW OF AVAILABLE STATISTICAL TESTS
This book has discussed many different statistical tests. To select the right test, ask yourself two questions: What kind of data have you collected? What is your goal? Then refer to Table 37.1.
All tests are described in this book and are performed by InStat, except for tests marked with asterisks. Tests labeled with a single asterisk are briefly mentioned in this book, and tests labeled with two asterisks are not mentioned at all.
Table 37.1. Selecting a statistical test
REVIEW OF NONPARAMETRIC TESTS
Choosing the right test to compare measurements is a bit tricky, as you must choose between two families of tests: parametric and nonparametric. Many -statistical test are based upon the assumption that the data are sampled from a Gaussian distribution. These tests are referred to as parametric tests. Commonly used parametric tests are listed in the first column of the table and include the t test and analysis of variance.
Tests that do not make assumptions about the population distribution are referred to as nonparametric- tests. You've already learned a bit about nonparametric tests in previous chapters. All commonly used nonparametric tests rank the outcome variable from low to high and then analyze the ranks. These tests are listed in the second column of the table and include the Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. These tests are also called distribution-free tests.
CHOOSING BETWEEN PARAMETRIC AND NONPARAMETRIC TESTS: THE EASY CASES
Choosing between parametric and nonparametric tests is sometimes easy. You should definitely choose a parametric test if you are sure that your data are sampled from a population that follows a Gaussian distribution (at least approximately). You should definitely select a nonparametric test in three situations:
• The outcome is a rank or a score and the population is clearly not Gaussian. Examples include class ranking of students, the Apgar score for the health of newborn babies (measured on a scale of 0 to IO and where all scores are integers), the visual analogue score for pain (measured on a continuous scale where 0 is no pain and 10 is unbearable pain), and the star scale commonly used by movie and restaurant critics (* is OK, ***** is fantastic).
• Some values are "off the scale," that is, too high or too low to measure. Even if the population is Gaussian, it is impossible to analyze such data with a parametric test since you don't know all of the values. Using a nonparametric test with these data is simple. Assign values too low to measure an arbitrary very low value and assign values too high to measure an arbitrary very high value. Then perform a nonparametric test. Since the nonparametric test only knows about the relative ranks of the values, it won't matter that you didn't know all the values exactly.
• The data ire measurements, and you are sure that the population is not distributed in a Gaussian manner. If the data are not sampled from a Gaussian distribution, consider whether you can transformed the values to make the distribution become Gaussian. For example, you might take the logarithm or reciprocal of all values. There are often biological or chemical reasons (as well as statistical ones) for performing a particular transform.
CHOOSING BETWEEN PARAMETRIC AND NONPARAMETRIC TESTS: THE HARD CASES
It is not always easy to decide whether a sample comes from a Gaussian population. Consider these points:
• If you collect many data points (over a hundred or so), you can look at the distribution of data and it will be fairly obvious whether the distribution is approximately bell shaped. A formal statistical test (Kolmogorov-Smirnoff test, not explained in this book) can be used to test whether the distribution of the data differs significantly from a Gaussian distribution. With few data points, it is difficult to tell whether the data are Gaussian by inspection, and the formal test has little power to discriminate between Gaussian and non-Gaussian distributions.
• You should look at previous data as well. Remember, what matters is the distribution of the overall population, not the distribution of your sample. In deciding whether a population is Gaussian, look at all available data, not just data in the current experiment.
• Consider the source of scatter. When the scatter comes from the sum of numerous sources (with no one source contributing most of the scatter), you expect to find a roughly Gaussian distribution.
When in doubt, some people choose a parametric test (because they aren't sure the Gaussian assumption is violated), and others choose a nonparametric test (because they aren't sure the Gaussian assumption is met).
CHOOSING BETWEEN PARAMETRIC AND NONPARAMETRIC TESTS: DOES IT MATTER?
Does it matter whether you choose a parametric or nonparametric test? The answer depends on sample size. There are four cases to think about:
• Large sample. What happens when you use a parametric test with data from a nongaussian population? The central limit theorem (discussed in Chapter 5) ensures that parametric tests work well with large samples even if the population is non-Gaussian. In other words, parametric tests are robust to deviations from Gaussian distributions, so long as the samples are large. The snag is that it is impossible to say how large is large enough, as it depends on the nature of the particular non-Gaussian distribution. Unless the population distribution is really weird, you are probably safe choosing a parametric test when there are at least two dozen data points in each group.
• Large sample. What happens when you use a nonparametric test with data from a Gaussian population? Nonparametric tests work well with large samples from Gaussian populations. The P values tend to be a bit too large, but the discrepancy is small. In other words, nonparametric tests are only slightly less powerful than parametric tests with large samples.
• Small samples. What happens when you use a parametric test with data from nongaussian populations? You can't rely on the central limit theorem, so the P value may be inaccurate.
• Small samples. When you use a nonparametric test with data from a Gaussian population, the P values tend to be too high. The nonparametric tests lack statistical power with small samples.
Thus, large data sets present no problems. It is usually easy to tell if the data come from a Gaussian population, but it doesn't really matter because the nonparametric tests are so powerful and the parametric tests are so robust. Small data sets present a dilemma. It is difficult to tell if the data come from a Gaussian population, but it matters a lot. The nonparametric tests are not powerful and the parametric tests are not robust.
ONE- OR TWO-SIDED P VALUE?
With many tests, you must choose whether you wish to calculate a one- or two-sided P value (same as one- or two-tailed P value). The difference between one- and two-sided P values was discussed in Chapter 10. Let's review the difference in the context of a t test. The P value is calculated for the null hypothesis that the two population means are equal, and any discrepancy between the two sample means is due to chance. If this null hypothesis is true, the one-sided P value is the probability that two sample means would differ as much as was observed (or further) in the direction specified by the hypothesis just by chance, even though the means of the overall populations are actually equal. The two-sided P value also includes the probability that the sample means would differ that much in the opposite direction (i.e., the other group has the larger mean). The two-sided P value is twice the one-sided P value.
A one-sided P value is appropriate when you can state with certainty (and before collecting any data) that there either will be no difference between the means or that the difference will go in a direction you can specify in advance (i.e., you have specified which group will have the larger mean). If you cannot specify the direction of any difference before collecting data, then a two-sided P value is more appropriate. If in doubt, select a two-sided P value.
If you select a one-sided test, you should do so before collecting any data and you need to state the direction of your experimental hypothesis. If the data go the other way, you must be willing to attribute that difference (or association or correlation) to chance, no matter how striking the data. If you would be intrigued, even a little, by data that goes in the "wrong" direction, then you should use a two-sided P value. For reasons discussed in Chapter 10, I recommend that you always calculate a two-sided P value.
PAIRED OR UNPAIRED TEST?
When comparing two groups, you need to decide whether to use a paired test. When comparing three or more groups, the term paired is not apt and the term repeated measures is used instead.
Use an unpaired test to compare groups when the individual values are not paired or matched with one another. Select a paired or repeated-measures test when values represent repeated measurements on one subject (before and after an intervention) or measurements on matched subjects. The paired or repeated-measures tests are also appropriate for repeated laboratory experiments run at different times, each with its own control.
You should select a paired test when values in one group are more closely correlated with a specific value in the other group than with random values in the other group. It is only appropriate to select a paired test when the subjects were matched or paired before the data were collected. You cannot base the pairing on the data you are analyzing.
FISHER'S TEST OR THE CHI-SQUARE TEST?
When analyzing contingency tables with two rows and two columns, you can use either Fisher's exact test or the chi-square test. The Fisher's test is the best choice as it always gives the exact P value. The chi-square test is simpler to calculate but yields only an approximate P value. If a computer is doing the calculations, you should choose Fisher's test unless you prefer the familiarity of the chi-square test. You should definitely avoid the chi-square test when the numbers in the contingency table are very small (any number less than about six). When the numbers are larger, the P values reported by the chi-square and Fisher's test will he very similar.
The chi-square test calculates approximate P values, and the Yates' continuity correction is designed to make the approximation better. Without the Yates' correction, the P values are too low. However, the correction goes too far, and the resulting P value is too high. Statisticians give different recommendations regarding Yates' correction. With large sample sizes, the Yates' correction makes little difference. If you select Fisher's test, the P value is exact and Yates' correction is not needed and is not available.
REGRESSION OR CORRELATION?
Linear regression and correlation are similar and easily confused. In some situations it makes sense to perform both calculations. Calculate linear correlation if you measured both X and Y in each subject and wish to quantity how well they are associated. Select the Pearson (parametric) correlation coefficient if you can assume that both X and Y are sampled from Gaussian populations. Otherwise choose the Spearman nonparametric correlation coefficient. Don't calculate the correlation coefficient (or its confidence interval) if you manipulated the X variable.
Calculate linear regressions only if one of the variables (X) is likely to precede or cause the other variable (Y). Definitely choose linear regression if you manipulated the X variable. It makes a big difference which variable is called X and which is called Y, as linear regression calculations are not symmetrical with respect to X and Y. If you swap the two variables, you will obtain a different regression line. In contrast, linear correlation calculations are symmetrical with respect to X and Y. If you swap the labels X and Y, you will still get the same correlation coefficient.
Learning Statistics online
There are various sites with which you can learn statistics. But probably these two side are more useful.
1. http://onlinestatbook.com/: This site gives you a simple start with statistics. If you have not learnt much statistics before, just start with this one. It can teach you linear regression.
2. http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/stathome.html: This site is much more comprehensive. Although it means for beginner as well, you should have already known a bit statistics to keep reading all the pages. More complicated tests, and multiple regression, are introduced in here. You may want to see this site as an upper level site, especially after you have studied the onlinestatbook.com
3. http://udel.edu/~mcdonald/statintro.html: People who are studying health sciences, public health, biology will see this site helpful. It is not any 'higher' than the statsoft.com, but it is more about biology and health studies. Plus, it has a very clear structure, which helps you differentiate between different types of test.
European Master in International Aid
The Joint European Master's in International Humanitarian Action is an inter-university, multidisciplinary postgraduate programme that provides high quality academic education and professional competencies for personnel working or intending to work in the area of humanitarian action.
This European Master's Degree was created in 1993 as result of concerted efforts on the part of the Network on Humanitarian Assistance (NOHA) Universities, working in close collaboration with two Directorates-General of the European Commission: DG for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and DG for Education and Culture. The initiative was a response to a growing need for higher educational qualifications specifically suited to addressing complex humanitarian emergencies.
In September 2004, the European Commission awarded the NOHA Master's the status of an Erasmus Mundus Programme. The latter is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education that promotes the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world. It provides EU-funded scholarships for a limited number of outstanding third-country nationals participating in Erasmus Mundus Master's Courses.
In 2005, NOHA was awarded by the European Commission Erasmus Mundus Partnerships Programme in order to establish and develop a framework for cooperation and student and scholar mobility between the NOHA institutions and the following partner universities: Monash University (Australia), Universidade de Brasilia (Brazil), York University (Canada); Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia), Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon), University of the Western Cape (South Africa), and Columbia University (United States).
In addition to collaboration and support from the European Union, the NOHA Programme enjoys the backing of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), inter-governmental organisations (IGOs), and other actors of the humanitarian action community with whom the Network has strong collaborative links.
More than a decade of experience has proved the NOHA commitment and capacity to educate and train highly committed, interdisciplinary persons who can act at all levels of humanitarian relief operations and who can function in a variety of ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance and sustainable actions.
Some 1500 NOHA-graduated professionals work in the field of humanitarian relief and international co-operation. They hold various positions of responsibility in all kinds of national and international agencies, institutions, and organisations both in the field and at headquarters all around the world. Such positions include project managers, administrators, researchers, evaluators, consultants, and delegates. In 2003, the NOHA Alumni Association was established with a view to enabling both students on the Master's Course and NOHA-graduated professionals to establish and maintain contact and collaboration with the NOHA family and the rest of the world's humanitarian community.
Erasmus Mundus
Welcome to Erasmus Mundus
The Erasmus Mundus programme is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education which promotes the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world. It supports European top-quality Masters Courses and enhances the visibility and attractiveness of European higher education in third countries. It also provides EU-funded scholarships for third country nationals participating in these Masters Courses, as well as scholarships for EU-nationals studying at Partner universities throughout the world.
Want to know more ?
Further information about the programme is available through the links on the left-hand side of the page.
If you work for a European higher education institution and want to find out more about establishing an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course with other European higher education institutions, establishing a Partnership with third-country institutions and applying for other Erasmus Mundus grants, click "Opportunities for HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS". This chapter also explains the opportunities Erasmus Mundus offers to higher education institutions located in third countries.
If you are a graduate student and would like to find out about enrolling in an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course, applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, and other details about the scholarship scheme, click on "Opportunities for STUDENTS". A list of all Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses can be found here.
If you are a scholar (academic or professional) you may also both contribute to and benefit from Erasmus Mundus. The section entitled "Information for SCHOLARS" provides information on teaching and research scholarships.
Other organisations interested in working with Erasmus Mundus to promote European higher education throughout the world will find information under "Opportunities for INSTITUTIONS other than higher education institutions".
For additional questions and clarifications, you can also consult our Frequently Asked Questions page.
One year master of international health, Erasmus Mundus
Home Admission Scholarship Application Study Tracks FAQ
European Master of Science
International Health Degree Programme
The European Master of Science Programme in International Health is part of tropEd, a network of 28 European institutions for higher education. In existence since 1996, tropEd collaborates closely with institutions in Asia, Africa, and the Americas in providing postgraduate education and training opportunities.
The European Master of Science Programme in International Health is a one year, full-time study programme taught in English. The main objective of the programme is to raise awareness of current global health concerns. Students become qualified to identify and critically analyse key factors shaping the health and well-being of populations in low- and middle-income countries and to formulate effective and appropriate responses to complex health-related issues. The eight institutions awarding this degree are: University of Bergen; Charité Medical School, Humboldt and Free Universities Berlin; Université Victor Ségalen Bordeaux 2; University of Copenhagen; Queen Margaret University College Edinburgh; University College London; the Royal Tropical Institute, Vrije University Amsterdam; and Karolinska Institute Stockholm.
Six possible study tracks are offered for this degree and reflect the strengths of the consortium institutions: Tropical Medicine and Disease Control; Health Systems, Health Policy and Management; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Child Health; Health Research Methods; and Health in Emergencies.
Each study track begins with a 3 month core course from September to December. Core courses provide a common basis of the main subject areas for all students. Students receive 20 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credit points upon successful completion of their core course. Advanced modules are taken between January and June. Each study track consists of advanced modules equal to 20 ECTS credit points. Students also carry out a research project within their study track and submit it as a thesis, equivalent to 20 ECTS credits.
To be granted a European Master of Science in International Health degree a student must have successfully completed 60 ECTS credits as described above. Upon successful completion of the programme, students are awarded multiple degrees, from each of the main institutes they study at over the academic year, with a diploma supplement which describes their study track and the overall study programme.
Sunday
PhD & Postdoctoral Scholarships in Sweden
Application instructions — PhD, post-doc and Swedish language students
Here is the application procedure for PhD students, post-doc researchers and Swedish language and literature students.
The first step in applying for this scholarship is to obtain a letter of invitation from a Swedish university department willing to accept you. In addition your application must be supported by a contact person at your home university. Applications must be submitted online with enclosures as digital documents.
Scholarship categories
You must register as one of the following categories in your application:
• Post-doc researchers, holders of a PhD degree from 2003 or later.
• PhD students applying for a part of PhD-studies to be carried out in Sweden. You must be enrolled as a PhD student at your home university.
• PhD-students applying for a PhD with a sandwich-setup (maximum 12 months preferably divided into 3 years).
• Final year university students of the Swedish language and literature.
You must also choose the scholarship period you are applying for from one of the following:
6 months (1 September 2008 – 28 February 2009)
12 months (1 September 2008 - 31 August 2009)
18 months (1 September 2008– 28 February 2010)
Please note that the 3 first types only apply to the PhD students and post-doc researchers, who are applying for a consecutive visit, in accordance with the specified dates.
Sandwich PhD ONLY (a total of maximum 12 months to be used before the end of 2010). This type is only intended for PhD students, who apply for a sandwich set-up. This set-up must be confirmed in the letter of invitation where also the preliminary dates for the visits must be stated.
Short-term scholarships for university students/researchers of Swedish language and literature ONLY.
A total of 2 months scholarship intended for final year university students or PhD students/researchers within the Swedish language and literature only. No other applicants are eligible for this scholarship period. To be used during the period September 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009). The preliminary dates for the visit must be stated in the letter of invitation.
Supporting documents
Please note that the supporting documents may not exceed the prescribed number of pages stated below. As a Swedish authority, The Swedish Institute (SI) serve under The Swedish Principle of Public Access to Information. This implies that any data registered in our systems will be treated as a public document. In accordance with this, information about your application and qualifications will be accessible to the public on request.
Letter of invitation. Mandatory.
— Signed by a professor or head of department at the inviting Swedish university, stating that you are invited as a student/researcher as well as informing on ongoing or planned cooperation between the host institution and your home institution.
Maximum 2 pages.
Two letters of recommendation. Mandatory.
— From professors/academic supervisors, describing the interest of cooperation and long term impact of a study/research visit to Sweden as well as confirming the applicant’s status (holder of a PhD-degree, registered PhD-student or year Swedish language/literature student. The letter should also evaluate the applicant’s English language proficiency. The letters of recommendation are mandatory. We prefer that the letters of recommendations are submitted with this online application. If that is not possible, they can be sent in a sealed envelope instead. The envelope must have reached the Swedish Institute (Box 7434, 103 91 Stockholm) on February 8, 2008, at the latest. In this case all documents or the envelope should be marked with the reference number of your confirmed application.
Maximum 2 pages.
Copies of university degrees. Mandatory.
— Copies of the highest obtained degree, translated into English and certified by the university.
Research proposal. Mandatory. (Not applicable for undergraduate studies in the Swedish language.)
— A research proposal describing the scientific quality of the project as well as its originality, methodological approach and relevance.
Maximum 5 pages.
CV of the applicant. Mandatory.
— Outlining your previous studies, degrees and English language proficiency.
Maximum 2 pages.
CV of the intended supervisor/contact person in Sweden. Mandatory.
Maximum 2 pages.
List of publications. Optional.
— Maximum 2 pages.
Personal motivation. Mandatory.
— Expected long term impact and goals, choice of Sweden as your study/research destination and reasons for seeking financial support.
Maximum 1 page.
Application form
Please use the online application form. The deadline for 2008 has passed. Information about next year's application deadline will be available by the end of the year.
How are the applications processed?
Once the application is completed and submitted on-line, it will be registered in the Swedish Institute online application system. Please be patient as this procedure may take some time (only submit the application once) until a confirmation with your reference number appears on the screen. An e-mail will also be sent to you with a copy to the contact person at the Swedish university.
Applications are evaluated by an academic board. The primary evaluation of the application takes into account the applicant's academic background and personal motivation, the research quality and expertise in the project field of the host department and the strength of the research proposal; its scientific quality, originality, methodological approach and relevance. In the final selection of candidates, academic fields, study levels, countries and gender will also be considered.
Decisions are finalized during May/June 2008 and a confirmation is sent to the appointed scholarship holder and to the supervisor/contact person at the Swedish University. Please note that all decisions are sent by e-mail only.
Wednesday
Two Vietnamese policemen 'knocked out' farmers
Source: Dantri Online
Where: Bong Lai village, Lai Ha commune, Luong Tai district, Bac Ninh province, Vietnam.
When: 8h, 25 Jan 2008.
Cause: A disagreement between the farmer's family and local authority regarding reparation of a commune's road.
This policeman said "It is just a mistake".
Comments by Dan Tri journalists, who reported this story: The "mistake" is terrific...(Tuan Hop - Thanh Dao)
Then, what is a 'mistake':
An act or thought that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true (source: here)
Tuesday
Farmers in Hanoi make vegetables 'fresh' by using sewage
In Vietnam, farmers living around Hanoi provide thousands of tons of vegetables for the capital city everyday. Nobody has ever asked how the farmers make their vegetables look 'fresh'.
Everyday, people in Hanoi are still buying this type of vegetables because they are much cheaper than vegetables in supermarkets. Many other, because of their habits, prefer eating the vegetables raw, without knowing that sewage are used to wash the vegetables.
This video is in Vietnamese but it shows the story. Don't panic!
Monday
Accidents kill 30 Vietnamese children every single day!
Between 27 and 35 children were killed by different accidents every day, reported Deputy Head of the Children Department Nguyen Trong An of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.
An told a summit on child injury prevention, the first of its kind so Far in Viet Nam, that a majority of child injuries were caused by traffic accidents, drowning and land mines.
Domestic and school-related accidents such as burns, electrocuting and Toy swallowing have also been on the rise.
Recently, there have appeared metal injuries among children.
The event, co-sponsored by the National Assembly Committee for Youth And Children Culture and Education Committee (CYCCEC) and the Child Injury Prevention Programme funded by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), aimed to raise public awareness about child injuries and call for concerted efforts to mitigate avoidable accidents for children.
CYCCEC Chairman Dao Trong Thi called on law makers to focus on policies regarding injury control in general and for children in particular.
Deputy UNICEF Resident Representative Maniza Zaman Cespedes pledged priorities given to child injury prevention.
Efforts should be made to strengthen the relevant legal system, speed up executing national policies to this regard and build up a safe community, first of all against drowning which is considered a most brutal child killer among injuries, said the child expert.-
Source:
Vietnamese News Agency (VNA)
Hanoi, February 27, 2008 Wednesday
Sunday
SOS: Vietnamese female laborers are treated like animals in Jordan, strangely die in Malaysia
Vietnamese workers learn foreign language before going abroad to work
VietNamNet Bridge – According to a communiqué from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), representatives of IOM and the Jordanian Labor Ministry on February 27 took a field trip to where, according to IOM, over 200 Vietnamese workers are being oppressed.
Among the visitors were representatives of the Boat People SOS Committee under the US Department of State.
According to the communiqué, most of the workers are women, except for four young male machinists.
Theodora Suter, IOM’s representative and officials of the Jordanian Labor Ministry were appalled at seeing Vietnamese women who had been beaten and were clearly starving. Suter paid special attention to a worker named Tran Thi Anh, who fainted during the visit.
The IOM and the Jordanian Labor Ministry immediately called doctors to take five workers, including Anh, to a hospital.
The communiqué also says the mission had to struggle with guards to get into the workers’ dormitory, where they were able to collect evidence of maltreatment.
When 167 Vietnamese workers decided to stop working and went on strike, the employer sent security guards to suppress and beat them.
Local police didn’t protect Vietnamese workers, but joined security guards in assaulting them. IOM recorded the words of one female worker: “They held our hair and threw us to the ground like frogs”.
According to Tuoi Tre newspaper’s sources from Jordan, Vietnamese workers are afraid for their lives and want to return to Vietnam as soon as possible.
(Source: here )
SIMILARLY: More than 100 Vietnamese laborers in Malaysia died in 2007
Many Vietnamese workers in Malaysia strangely die
17:12' 28/02/2008 (GMT+7)
The coffin of a Vietnamese worker in Malaysia at Noi Bai Airport
VietNamNet Bridge – Within only one week in late 2007, three Vietnamese workers were reported dead in Malaysia, raising the total number to over 100 in 2007.
According to the Overseas Labor Control Agency, around 130,000 Vietnamese workers have gone to Malaysia to work in production and processing industries. Since 2004, the agency has reported many strange deaths, mostly occurring during weekends.
From April 2002, when Vietnam began to send its workers to Malaysia, to January 2008, 315 deaths were recorded. Notably, up to over 100 Vietnamese workers died in Malaysia in 2007. This figure is much higher than in other countries, and has stirred up suspicion.
According to statistics by the Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport, most of the bodies of Vietnamese who die abroad and are transported into Vietnam through this airport come from Malaysia. In June 2007, Noi Bai received 15 bodies, 10 of which were from Malaysia. The ratio was 6/11 in July, 11/12 in August, 8/9 in September and 6/8 in October 2007.
A Vietnamese worker who is working in Subang 2 State, Malaysia, said since 2002, he knew of 10 Vietnamese workers who suffered sudden deaths. Many witnesses in Malaysia and the families of victims confirmed that the dead workers were healthy and strong before they died.
Dao Cong Hai, Deputy Head of the Overseas Labor Control Agency, said his agency sent a working-group to Malaysia in 2005 to survey the living standards of Vietnamese workers and sudden deaths, but were not able to discover any wrongdoing.
The reasons behind many of these deaths, according to the Overseas Labor Control Agency, is poor health conditions of many workers.
“We may say that Vietnamese people are not stronger than workers from other countries. Especially, Vietnamese are used to a humid environment and when they live in countries with dry weather, where temperatures vary greatly, their immune systems become weak. Many laborers work hard, drink a lot and don’t live healthily, and they can suffer fatal complications,” Hai said.
The high number of deaths of Vietnamese workers in Malaysia was first warned about several years ago. In October 2005, Deputy Head of the Overseas Labor Control Agency Vu Dinh Toan told the media that Vietnamese many Vietnamese works who wind up dead in Malaysia is because of their poor health, weather difference, drinking, etc. He confirmed that after the phenomenon was reported, health check-ups for workers before leaving for Malaysia was corrected and the number of deaths has already reduced. After three years, the figure is now increasing. Original source here.
FINAL NOTE: IN 2006, A MAN TOLD ME HE JUST STOPPED HIS BUSSINESS IN EXPORTING VIETNAMESE LABORERS TO MALASIA BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO HIM, 'IT IS TOO TERRIBLE. EVERY WEEK WE HAVE TO GO TO THE AIRPORT TO RECEIVE A COFFIN'. I DID NOT BELIEVE. NOW IT IS REAL AND LIVE.