PSY4215 Advanced data science: From research problem to story-telling

Working with data is fundamental to most career paths for psychology graduates. This unit aims to demystify the process of becoming adept in data analysis. You will learn about concepts that apply to all analysis, including data visualisation/story-telling (i.e., how to shape analysis into an effective narrative), modern tools that can streamline research, and the open-science movement. You will be taught methods from the personal perspective of the researcher, following their footsteps as they solved a problem.
Lessons will (1) identify what was the specific research puzzle that needed solving, (2) how the researcher came to discover and choose a useful approach (and reject alternative approaches that were dead-ends), (3) how they learned the necessary skills to implement the method, and (4) how they told the story. Lessons will emphasise applications and interpretations for each method – what do the methods do and why are they useful? Introductory theory will be covered, emphasising practice over abstract content, with extension resources in case you wish to pursue expertise in any of the methods.