Statistical Methods

Aim and Content

The course treats descriptive and exploratory statistical methods and other quantitative methods for use in dealing with language research questions. Furthermore the course provides guidance in the practical use of computer tools for these methods.

This course unit is also appropriate for students entering a master's or PhD program in a language related subject or a subject in humanities computing.

Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to understand statistics based statements in the literature, formulate hypotheses which can be tested with quantitative methods, choose a quantitative method appropriate for one's own analysis, carry out practical tests, assess the relation between a quantitative and a qualitative methodology, interpret a statistical result in relation to a hypothesis, and use a statistics program on a computer. Furthermore the student will be able to understand the contribution of statistical methods to computational linguistics and language technology.

Course offered (semester)

Spring

Language of Instruction

English if students not speaking Norwegian attend, otherwise Norwegian

Course Unit Level

Master.

Department

Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic studies

Access to the Course Unit

Open to all who have been admitted to the master's program in Linguistics or in Natural Language Processing at the University of Bergen.

Pre-requirements

None.

Recommended previous knowledge

EXFAC00SK or equivalent introduction to linguistics and preferably 60 credits of language studies, linguistics, humanities computing, information science, and/or cognitive science.

Subject Overlap

DASP106 (5 ECTS credits)

Teaching Methods

Lectures and computer exercises, about 2 hours per week.

If fewer than five students are registered to a course, the department might reduce the teaching, please see the department¿s guidelines regarding this on ¿My Space¿. For courses where this is a possibility, the students get information about this at the beginning of the semester, and before the deadline regarding semester registration February 1 / September 1.

Compulsory Requirements

Students must hand in two given assignments by the deadlines stated during each teaching term. Handing in the second assignment presupposes that the first has been approved. These assignments are assessed by the teacher as approved or not approved.

Assessment methods

Four-hour written exam. The assignments given as compulsory requirements must be approved by the teacher before the student can take the written exam.

Grading Scale

A-F.

Reading List

Reading materials are mainly descriptions of statistic and other quantitative methods and their use, about 200 pages.

Place of Teaching

Bergen.

Course Unit Evaluation

Evaluation of the course will be carried out in accordance with the University of Bergen's quality assessment system.

Contact Information

E-mail: advice@lle.uib.no