Computer Applications in the Social Sciences

Providing both an introduction to computing and advice on computer applications, the authors examine available hardware and software with respect to the needs of the social scientist. The book offers a systematic framework for the use of computers, with particular focus on the 'work station', the center of which is a personal computer connected to networks by a telephone-based modem. The material ranges from sophisticated discussions of methodology to ideas for expanding everyday applications of computer techniques to virtual how-to-do-it advice. The various stages of academic work are addressed: from the research process (theory formulation, literature search, data gathering, etc.) to communicating with colleagues to teaching. The authors' encyclopedic coverage of computer applications in the social sciences includes such topics as simulation/modeling techniques, data management, statistical analysis, graphics, work processing, expert systems, and artificial intelligence. The chapters also review technical literature on computer hardware and software, behavioral literature (studies of how people actually use computers), and prescriptive literature on the research process itself. "Computer Applications in the Social Sciences" is not a computer manual, but a reference that includes sample programs and printouts for illustration. Brent and Anderson make compelling arguments for the importance of computer literacy and offer specific advice on how computers can improve efficiency and assist in creatively manipulating and presenting social science research. Edward E. Brent, Jr. is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ronald E. Anderson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis.