Introduction to Big Data and Machine Learning for Survey Researchers and Social Scientists with Trent Buskirk

Date: Thursday, November 8, 2018

Time: 9:00AM - 4:30PM

Location: Davis Library Room 219, UNC Chapel Hill Campus

This Odum Institute sponsored course will explore how Big Data concepts, processes and methods can be used within the context of Survey Research. Key concepts will be illustrated using specific survey research examples, including tailored survey designs and non-response adjustments and evaluation.

This course will offer participants:

• an overview of key Big Data terminology and concepts
• an introduction to common data generating processes
• a discussion of some primary issues with linking Big Data with Survey Data
• issues of coverage and measurement errors within the Big Data context
• a discussion of information extraction and signal detection in the context of Big Data
• a discussion of the similarities and differences in model building for inference versus prediction
• an overview of four popular machine learning methods including k-means clustering, hierarchical clustering, classification and regression trees and random forests using R with example code provided
• an discussion and illustration about how these and other methods can be used in the survey research process

About the Instructor:

Trent D. Buskirk, PhD received his Ph.D. in Statistics from Arizona State University in 1999 with emphasis in Survey Sampling. Since that time Trent has developed expertise and extensive experience in sampling statistics, survey and data collection methodology with specific expertise on Mobile Survey Designs.

His research interests include dual frame weighting for smartphone surveys as well as mode effects related to smartphone surveys, online and in-person surveys and the use of data mining methods for predicting nonresponse in ABS samples using auxiliary frame data. Dr. Buskirk has also conducted research using both Probability-based and non-probability based panels in the context of nonresponse bias adjustments, mode effect evaluation and coverage issues.

Trent is currently the President of the Midwest Association of Public Opinion Research and the Publications Officer for the Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association. Prior to joining MSG, Dr. Buskirk conducted research and development at The Nielsen Company and prior to that was an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health. Dr. Buskirk also served as a faculty member in the Survey Research and Methodology Program and Statistics Unit at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
This course will count as 7.0 CPSM short course credits.

For more information and registration, please visit our website. The registration deadline is November 4, 2018.