Data Mining

Data mining (DM) methods can be applied to visual and to textual data, but the focus of this class is on the application of DM to quantitative or numerical data. In this area, DM offers interesting alternatives to conventional statistical modeling methods such as regression and its offshoots. This class is taught jointly by a professor of computer science and a professor of sociology and typically enrolls a mix of computer science and social science doctoral students. It aims to provide an introduction to data mining methods and their application to data analysis. The course reviews the main DM techniques and explains the logic of each. It emphasizes contrasts between conventional statistical analyses and DM approaches. Students work with each technique using JMP Pro software, in a computer classroom. Each student will undertake a DM analysis project as a final paper, typically analyzing a dataset chosen by the student.