What's Happening in The Mathematical Sciences

Bayesian methods are increasingly being used in the social sciences, as the problems encountered lend themselves so naturally to the subjective qualities of Bayesian methodology. This book provides an accessible introduction to Bayesian methods, tailored specifically for social science students. It contains lots of real examples from political science, psychology, sociology, and economics, exercises in all chapters, and detailed descriptions of all the key concepts, without assuming any background in statistics beyond a first course. It features examples of how to implement the methods using WinBUGS – the most-widely used Bayesian analysis software in the world – and R – an open-source statistical software. The book is supported by a Website featuring WinBUGS and R code, and data sets.

Technology and Social Science examines the development and implementation of computer-assisted-learning in the social sciences. Encouraging both students and academics to improve the quality of their teaching and learning by using the wide range of new technologies effectively, this work highlights some of the pros and cons of technology, critically evaluating the technological process and its potential in the field. Encouraging the social science community to take an increasingly active role in this debate, the contributors examine key isues and emphasize areas in need of attention.