As data become 'big', fast and complex, the software and computing tools needed to manage and analyse them are rapidly developing. Social scientists need new tools to meet these challenges, tackle big datasets, while also developing a more nuanced understanding of - and control over - how these computing tools and algorithms are implemented. Programming with Python for Social Scientists offers a vital foundation to one of the most popular programming tools in computer science, specifically for social science researchers, assuming no prior coding knowledge. It guides you through the full research process, from question to publication, including:

• the fundamentals of why and how to do your own programming in social scientific research,
• questions of ethics and research design,
• a clear, easy to follow 'how-to' guide to using Python, with a wide array of applications such as data visualisation, social media data research, social network analysis, and more.

Accompanied by numerous code examples, screenshots, sample data sources, this is the textbook for social scientists looking for a complete introduction to programming with Python and incorporating it into their research design and analysis.

About the Author
Phillip Brooker is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Liverpool, with interdisciplinary research interests in and around ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, science and technology studies, and human-computer interaction. On the platform of a record of research in digital methods and social media analytics, one strand of his current research is the exploration of the potential for computer programming to feature in core social science research methods training (Programming-as-Social-Science, or PaSS); an interest manifest in his recently-published book entitled "Programming with Python for Social Scientists" (SAGE).

Reviews
Great resource for all students and researchers looking for a clear, accessible, yet comprehensive introduction to Python and coding. -- Nicola Perra

This is an engaging, insightful and sophisticated guide to Python for social scientists. It's a manual of the highest quality and a practice led intervention with the potential to shape the future of the digital social sciences. I can't recommend it highly enough.

-- Mark Carrigan



Book Information
ISBN 9781526431721
Author Phillip Brooker
Format Paperback
Page Count 328
Imprint Sage Publications Ltd
Publisher Sage Publications Ltd
Weight(grams) 570g