Applied Time Series Analysis For The Social Sciences

McCleary and Hay have made time series analysis techniques -- the Box-Jenkins or ARIMA methods -- accessible to the social scientist. Rejecting the dictum that time series analysis requires substantial mathematical sophistication, the authors take a clearly written, step-by-step approach. They describe the logic behind time series analysis, and its possible applications in impact assessment, causal modelling and forecasting, multivariate time series and parameter estimation.

This book provides instruction and examples of the core methods in time series econometrics, drawing from several main fields of the social sciences.

Virtually any random process developing chronologically can be viewed as a time series. In economics closing prices of stocks, the cost of money, the jobless rate, and retail sales are just a few examples of many. Developed from course notes and extensively classroom-tested, Applied Time Series Analysis with R, Second Edition includes examples across a variety of fields, develops theory, and provides an R-based software package to aid in addressing time series problems in a broad spectrum of fields. The material is organized in an optimal format for graduate students in statistics as well as in the natural and social sciences to learn to use and understand the tools of applied time series analysis. Features Gives readers the ability to actually solve significant real-world problems Addresses many types of nonstationary time series and cutting-edge methodologies Promotes understanding of the data and associated models rather than viewing it as the output of a "black box" Provides the R package tswge available on CRAN which contains functions and over 100 real and simulated data sets to accompany the book. Extensive help regarding the use of tswge functions is provided in appendices and on an associated website. Over 150 exercises and extensive support for instructors The second edition includes additional real-data examples, uses R-based code that helps students easily analyze data, generate realizations from models, and explore the associated characteristics. It also adds discussion of new advances in the analysis of long memory data and data with time-varying frequencies (TVF).

Since the 1970s social scientists and scientists in a variety of fields - psychology, sociology, education, psychiatry, economics and engineering - have been interested in problems that require the statistical analysis of data over time and there has been in effect a conceptual revolution in ways of thinking about pattern and regularity. This book is a comprehensive introduction to all the major time-series techniques, both time-domain and frequency-domain. It includes work on linear models that simplify the solution of univariate and multivariate problems. The author begins with a non-mathematical overview: throughout, he provides easy-to-understand, fully worked examples drawn from real studies in psychology and sociology. Other, less comprehensive, books on time-series analysis require calculus: this presupposes only a standard introductory statistics course covering analysis of variance and regression. The chapters are short, designed to build concepts (and the reader's confidence) one step at a time. Many illustrations aid visual, intuitive understanding. Without compromising mathematical rigour, the author keeps in mind the reader who does no have an easy time with mathematics: the result is a readily accessible and practical text.

Explore this indispensable and comprehensive guide to time series analysis for students and practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines Applied Time Series Analysis for the Social Sciences: Specification, Estimation, and Inference delivers an accessible guide to time series analysis that includes both theory and practice. The coverage spans developments from ARIMA intervention models and generalized least squares to the London School of Economics (LSE) approach and vector autoregression. Designed to break difficult concepts into manageable pieces while offering plenty of examples and exercises, the author demonstrates the use of lag operator algebra throughout to provide a better understanding of dynamic specification and the connections between model specifications that appear to be more different than they are. The book is ideal for those with minimal mathematical experience, intended to follow a course in multiple regression, and includes exercises designed to build general skills such as mathematical expectation calculations to derive means and variances. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A focus on social science applications and a mix of theory and detailed examples provided throughout An accompanying website with data sets and examples in Stata, SAS and R A simplified unit root testing strategy based on recent developments An examination of various uses and interpretations of lagged dependent variables and the common pitfalls students and researchers face in this area An introduction to LSE methodology such as the COMFAC critique, general-to-specific modeling, and the use of forecasting to evaluate and test models Perfect for students and professional researchers in the political sciences, public policy, sociology, and economics, Applied Time Series Analysis for the Social Sciences: Specification, Estimation, and Inference will also earn a place in the libraries of post graduate students and researchers in public health, public administration and policy, and education.

Explore this indispensable and comprehensive guide to time series analysis for students and practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines Applied Time Series Analysis for the Social Sciences: Specification, Estimation, and Inference delivers an accessible guide to time series analysis that includes both theory and practice. The coverage spans developments from ARIMA intervention models and generalized least squares to the London School of Economics (LSE) approach and vector autoregression. Designed to break difficult concepts into manageable pieces while offering plenty of examples and exercises, the author demonstrates the use of lag operator algebra throughout to provide a better understanding of dynamic specification and the connections between model specifications that appear to be more different than they are. The book is ideal for those with minimal mathematical experience, intended to follow a course in multiple regression, and includes exercises designed to build general skills such as mathematical expectation calculations to derive means and variances. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A focus on social science applications and a mix of theory and detailed examples provided throughout An accompanying website with data sets and examples in Stata, SAS and R A simplified unit root testing strategy based on recent developments An examination of various uses and interpretations of lagged dependent variables and the common pitfalls students and researchers face in this area An introduction to LSE methodology such as the COMFAC critique, general-to-specific modeling, and the use of forecasting to evaluate and test models Perfect for students and professional researchers in the political sciences, public policy, sociology, and economics, Applied Time Series Analysis for the Social Sciences: Specification, Estimation, and Inference will also earn a place in the libraries of post graduate students and researchers in public health, public administration and policy, and education.