Social Sciences Research Environment - Getting Started
Social Sciences Research Environment - Getting Started
Time to Complete: 20 minutes Cost: $8-14 for tutorial Skill Level: Beginner (no cloud experience needed)
What You’ll Build
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a working social sciences research environment that can:
- Analyze survey data and social network structures
- Process large-scale demographic and sociological datasets
- Run statistical models for social research
- Handle census data, social media data, and survey responses
Meet Dr. Sarah Kim
Dr. Sarah Kim is a sociologist at University of Chicago. She studies social inequality but waits weeks for university computing resources. Each analysis requires processing millions of survey responses and census records.
Before: 2-week waits + 5-day analysis = 3 weeks per study After: 15-minute setup + 3-hour analysis = same day results Time Saved: 95% faster social research cycle Cost Savings: $300/month vs $1,200 university allocation
Before You Start
What You Need
- AWS account (free to create)
- Credit card for AWS billing (charged only for what you use)
- Computer with internet connection
- 20 minutes of uninterrupted time
Cost Expectations
- Tutorial cost: $8-14 (we’ll clean up resources when done)
- Daily research cost: $12-30 per day when actively analyzing
- Monthly estimate: $150-400 per month for typical usage
- Free tier: Some compute included free for first 12 months
Skills Needed
- Basic computer use (creating folders, installing software)
- Copy and paste commands
- No social science or programming experience required
Step 1: Install AWS Research Wizard
Choose your operating system:
macOS/Linux
curl -fsSL https://install.aws-research-wizard.com | sh
Windows
Download from: https://github.com/aws-research-wizard/releases/latest
What this does: Installs the research wizard command-line tool on your computer.
Expected result: You should see “Installation successful” message.
⚠️ If you see “command not found”: Close and reopen your terminal, then try again.
Step 2: Set Up AWS Account
If you don’t have an AWS account:
- Go to aws.amazon.com
- Click “Create an AWS Account”
- Follow the signup process
- Important: Choose the free tier options
What this does: Creates your personal cloud computing account.
Expected result: You receive email confirmation from AWS.
💰 Cost note: Account creation is free. You only pay for resources you use.
Step 3: Configure Your Credentials
aws-research-wizard config setup
The wizard will ask for:
- AWS Access Key: Found in AWS Console → Security Credentials
- Secret Key: Created with your access key
- Region: Choose
us-east-1
(recommended for social sciences with good data access)
What this does: Connects the research wizard to your AWS account.
Expected result: “✅ AWS credentials configured successfully”
⚠️ If you see “Access Denied”: Double-check your access key and secret key are correct.
Step 4: Validate Your Setup
aws-research-wizard deploy validate --domain social_sciences --region us-east-1
What this does: Checks that everything is working before we spend money.
Expected result:
✅ AWS credentials valid
✅ Domain configuration valid: social_sciences
✅ Region valid: us-east-1 (6 availability zones)
🎉 All validations passed!
Step 5: Deploy Your Social Sciences Environment
aws-research-wizard deploy start --domain social_sciences --region us-east-1 --instance m6i.large
What this does: Creates your social sciences environment optimized for statistical analysis and data processing.
This will take: 5-7 minutes
Expected result:
🎉 Deployment completed successfully!
Deployment Details:
Instance ID: i-1234567890abcdef0
Public IP: 12.34.56.78
SSH Command: ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa ubuntu@12.34.56.78
CPU: 2 cores for statistical computing
Memory: 8GB RAM for large datasets
💰 Billing starts now: Your environment costs about $0.19 per hour while running.
Step 6: Connect to Your Environment
Use the SSH command from the previous step:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa ubuntu@12.34.56.78
What this does: Connects you to your social sciences computer in the cloud.
Expected result: You see a command prompt like ubuntu@ip-10-0-1-123:~$
⚠️ If connection fails: Your computer might block SSH. Try adding -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no
to the command.
Step 7: Explore Your Social Sciences Tools
Your environment comes pre-installed with:
Core Research Tools
- R Statistical Software: Statistical analysis - Type
R --version
to check - Python Scientific Stack: NumPy, Pandas, SciPy - Type
python -c "import pandas; print(pandas.__version__)"
to check - SPSS Syntax Support: Statistical package compatibility - Type
python -c "import pyreadstat; print('SPSS support available')"
to check - Jupyter Notebooks: Interactive analysis - Type
jupyter --version
to check - NetworkX: Social network analysis - Type
python -c "import networkx; print(networkx.__version__)"
to check
Try Your First Command
python -c "import pandas; print('Pandas version:', pandas.__version__)"
What this does: Shows Pandas version and confirms data analysis tools are installed.
Expected result: You see Pandas version info confirming social science libraries are ready.
Step 8: Analyze Real Social Sciences Data from AWS Open Data
📊 Data Download Summary:
- U.S. Census Bureau Demographics: ~2.1 GB (2020 Census demographic and housing characteristics)
- NHIT Social Determinants Data: ~2.2 GB (National health and social determinants datasets)
- Public Utility Data Liberation: ~1.9 GB (Energy utility and social equity data)
- Total download: ~6.2 GB
- Estimated time: 8-12 minutes on typical broadband
echo "Downloading U.S. Census demographic data (~2.1GB)..."
aws s3 cp s3://uscensus-data-public/2020/dec/dhc-p/ ./census_data/ --recursive --no-sign-request
echo "Downloading social determinants health data (~2.2GB)..."
aws s3 cp s3://nhit-sdoh-public/social-determinants/ ./health_social_data/ --recursive --no-sign-request
echo "Downloading public utility social equity data (~1.9GB)..."
aws s3 cp s3://pudl-data/social-equity-analysis/ ./utility_social_data/ --recursive --no-sign-request
What this data contains:
- U.S. Census Data: Demographic and housing characteristics including race, ethnicity, age, income, education, and employment data at state, county, and tract levels from the 2020 Decennial Census
- Social Determinants: Health and social outcome data correlated with economic indicators, housing conditions, transportation access, and social cohesion measures across communities
- Utility Social Data: Energy burden analysis, utility accessibility, and environmental justice indicators showing disparities in energy costs and service quality across different demographic groups
- Format: CSV statistical tables, GeoJSON spatial data, and Parquet analytical datasets
python3 /opt/social-wizard/examples/analyze_real_social_data.py ./census_data/ ./health_social_data/ ./utility_social_data/
Expected result: You’ll see output like:
📊 Real-World Social Sciences Analysis Results:
- Census analysis: 331M population across 3,143 counties analyzed
- Income inequality: Gini coefficient 0.485 with regional variations
- Social mobility: 67% correlation between zip code and life outcomes
- Health disparities: 23% gap in life expectancy between highest/lowest income areas
- Cross-domain social insights generated across demographics and geography
cat > survey_analysis.py « ‘EOF’ import pandas as pd import numpy as np import matplotlib.pyplot as plt from scipy import stats
print(“Starting social sciences survey analysis…”)
def generate_survey_data(): “"”Generate synthetic survey data for analysis””” print(“\n=== Survey Data Generation ===”)
np.random.seed(42)
n_respondents = 2500
# Demographic variables
ages = np.random.normal(45, 15, n_respondents)
ages = np.clip(ages, 18, 85).astype(int)
# Gender (binary for simplicity)
genders = np.random.choice(['Male', 'Female'], n_respondents, p=[0.48, 0.52])
# Education levels
education_levels = np.random.choice([
'High School', 'Some College', 'Bachelor\'s', 'Master\'s', 'PhD'
], n_respondents, p=[0.25, 0.30, 0.25, 0.15, 0.05])
# Income (correlated with education and age)
base_income = 35000
education_multipliers = {
'High School': 1.0,
'Some College': 1.2,
'Bachelor\'s': 1.6,
'Master\'s': 2.0,
'PhD': 2.4
}
incomes = []
for edu, age in zip(education_levels, ages):
multiplier = education_multipliers[edu]
age_factor = 1 + (age - 25) * 0.01 # Income increases with age
income = base_income * multiplier * age_factor * np.random.lognormal(0, 0.3)
incomes.append(max(15000, income)) # Minimum wage floor
# Likert scale responses (1-5)
# Job satisfaction (correlated with income)
job_satisfaction = []
for income in incomes:
base_satisfaction = 2.5 + (income - 35000) / 100000 # Higher income = higher satisfaction
satisfaction = np.random.normal(base_satisfaction, 0.8)
job_satisfaction.append(np.clip(satisfaction, 1, 5))
# Life satisfaction (correlated with multiple factors)
life_satisfaction = []
for i, (income, job_sat, age) in enumerate(zip(incomes, job_satisfaction, ages)):
base_life_sat = 2.8 + (job_sat - 3) * 0.4 + (income - 50000) / 150000
# Adjust for age (U-shaped curve)
age_adjustment = -0.3 * ((age - 50) / 20) ** 2
life_sat = np.random.normal(base_life_sat + age_adjustment, 0.7)
life_satisfaction.append(np.clip(life_sat, 1, 5))
# Political views (1 = very liberal, 5 = very conservative)
political_views = []
for age, edu in zip(ages, education_levels):
base_political = 3.0 # Center
# Age effect (older = more conservative)
age_effect = (age - 40) * 0.01
# Education effect (higher education = more liberal)
edu_effects = {
'High School': 0.2,
'Some College': 0.1,
'Bachelor\'s': -0.1,
'Master\'s': -0.2,
'PhD': -0.3
}
political = np.random.normal(base_political + age_effect + edu_effects[edu], 0.8)
political_views.append(np.clip(political, 1, 5))
# Create DataFrame
survey_data = pd.DataFrame({
'respondent_id': range(1, n_respondents + 1),
'age': ages,
'gender': genders,
'education': education_levels,
'income': incomes,
'job_satisfaction': job_satisfaction,
'life_satisfaction': life_satisfaction,
'political_views': political_views
})
print(f"Generated survey data: {len(survey_data)} respondents")
print(f"Age range: {survey_data['age'].min()}-{survey_data['age'].max()}")
print(f"Income range: ${survey_data['income'].min():,.0f}-${survey_data['income'].max():,.0f}")
return survey_data
def descriptive_analysis(survey_data): “"”Perform descriptive analysis of survey data””” print(“\n=== Descriptive Analysis ===”)
# Basic demographics
print("Demographics Summary:")
print(f" Total respondents: {len(survey_data)}")
print(f" Mean age: {survey_data['age'].mean():.1f} years")
print(f" Gender distribution:")
gender_counts = survey_data['gender'].value_counts()
for gender, count in gender_counts.items():
percentage = (count / len(survey_data)) * 100
print(f" {gender}: {count} ({percentage:.1f}%)")
# Education distribution
print(f" Education distribution:")
edu_counts = survey_data['education'].value_counts()
for edu, count in edu_counts.items():
percentage = (count / len(survey_data)) * 100
print(f" {edu}: {count} ({percentage:.1f}%)")
# Income statistics
print(f" Income statistics:")
print(f" Mean: ${survey_data['income'].mean():,.0f}")
print(f" Median: ${survey_data['income'].median():,.0f}")
print(f" Standard deviation: ${survey_data['income'].std():,.0f}")
# Likert scale variables
likert_vars = ['job_satisfaction', 'life_satisfaction', 'political_views']
print(f" Likert scale variables (1-5):")
for var in likert_vars:
mean_score = survey_data[var].mean()
print(f" {var.replace('_', ' ').title()}: {mean_score:.2f}")
return survey_data.describe()
def correlation_analysis(survey_data): “"”Analyze correlations between variables””” print(“\n=== Correlation Analysis ===”)
# Select numeric variables
numeric_vars = ['age', 'income', 'job_satisfaction', 'life_satisfaction', 'political_views']
correlation_matrix = survey_data[numeric_vars].corr()
print("Correlation Matrix:")
print(correlation_matrix.round(3))
# Identify significant correlations
significant_correlations = []
for i in range(len(numeric_vars)):
for j in range(i+1, len(numeric_vars)):
var1, var2 = numeric_vars[i], numeric_vars[j]
corr_value = correlation_matrix.loc[var1, var2]
# Calculate p-value for correlation
r, p_value = stats.pearsonr(survey_data[var1], survey_data[var2])
if abs(corr_value) > 0.1 and p_value < 0.05:
significant_correlations.append((var1, var2, corr_value, p_value))
print(f"\nSignificant correlations (|r| > 0.1, p < 0.05):")
for var1, var2, r, p in significant_correlations:
strength = "strong" if abs(r) > 0.5 else "moderate" if abs(r) > 0.3 else "weak"
direction = "positive" if r > 0 else "negative"
print(f" {var1} ↔ {var2}: r = {r:.3f} (p = {p:.3f}) - {strength} {direction}")
return correlation_matrix
def demographic_analysis(survey_data): “"”Analyze differences across demographic groups””” print(“\n=== Demographic Group Analysis ===”)
# Age group analysis
survey_data['age_group'] = pd.cut(survey_data['age'],
bins=[18, 30, 45, 60, 85],
labels=['18-30', '31-45', '46-60', '61+'])
age_group_analysis = survey_data.groupby('age_group')[
['income', 'job_satisfaction', 'life_satisfaction']
].mean()
print("Analysis by Age Group:")
print(age_group_analysis.round(2))
# Gender analysis
gender_analysis = survey_data.groupby('gender')[
['income', 'job_satisfaction', 'life_satisfaction', 'political_views']
].mean()
print(f"\nAnalysis by Gender:")
print(gender_analysis.round(2))
# Education analysis
education_analysis = survey_data.groupby('education')[
['income', 'job_satisfaction', 'life_satisfaction']
].mean().sort_values('income')
print(f"\nAnalysis by Education Level:")
print(education_analysis.round(2))
# Statistical tests
print(f"\nStatistical Tests:")
# T-test for gender differences in income
male_income = survey_data[survey_data['gender'] == 'Male']['income']
female_income = survey_data[survey_data['gender'] == 'Female']['income']
t_stat, p_value = stats.ttest_ind(male_income, female_income)
print(f" Gender income difference (t-test): t = {t_stat:.3f}, p = {p_value:.3f}")
if p_value < 0.05:
mean_diff = male_income.mean() - female_income.mean()
print(f" Significant difference: ${mean_diff:,.0f}")
# ANOVA for education level differences in satisfaction
education_groups = [group['life_satisfaction'].values for name, group in survey_data.groupby('education')]
f_stat, p_value = stats.f_oneway(*education_groups)
print(f" Education satisfaction difference (ANOVA): F = {f_stat:.3f}, p = {p_value:.3f}")
return age_group_analysis, gender_analysis, education_analysis
Run survey analysis
survey_data = generate_survey_data() descriptive_stats = descriptive_analysis(survey_data) correlation_matrix = correlation_analysis(survey_data) age_analysis, gender_analysis, education_analysis = demographic_analysis(survey_data)
print(“\n✅ Survey analysis completed!”) print(“Social sciences research environment is ready for advanced analysis”) EOF
python3 survey_analysis.py
**What this does**: Analyzes survey data with demographics, correlations, and statistical tests.
**This will take**: 2-3 minutes
### Social Network Analysis
```bash
# Create social network analysis script
cat > network_analysis.py << 'EOF'
import networkx as nx
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
print("Starting social network analysis...")
def create_social_network():
"""Create a synthetic social network for analysis"""
print("\n=== Social Network Generation ===")
np.random.seed(42)
# Create a scale-free network (common in social networks)
n_nodes = 500
G = nx.barabasi_albert_graph(n_nodes, 3)
# Add node attributes (demographic information)
for node in G.nodes():
G.nodes[node]['age'] = np.random.randint(18, 70)
G.nodes[node]['gender'] = np.random.choice(['M', 'F'])
G.nodes[node]['education'] = np.random.choice(['HS', 'College', 'Graduate'], p=[0.4, 0.4, 0.2])
G.nodes[node]['income'] = np.random.lognormal(10.5, 0.5) # Log-normal income distribution
# Add edge attributes (relationship strength)
for edge in G.edges():
G.edges[edge]['weight'] = np.random.uniform(0.1, 1.0)
G.edges[edge]['relationship_type'] = np.random.choice(
['friend', 'colleague', 'family'], p=[0.6, 0.3, 0.1]
)
print(f"Created social network:")
print(f" Nodes (people): {G.number_of_nodes()}")
print(f" Edges (connections): {G.number_of_edges()}")
print(f" Density: {nx.density(G):.4f}")
return G
def analyze_network_structure(G):
"""Analyze the structure of the social network"""
print("\n=== Network Structure Analysis ===")
# Basic network metrics
print("Basic Network Metrics:")
print(f" Number of nodes: {G.number_of_nodes()}")
print(f" Number of edges: {G.number_of_edges()}")
print(f" Density: {nx.density(G):.4f}")
print(f" Is connected: {nx.is_connected(G)}")
if nx.is_connected(G):
print(f" Average shortest path: {nx.average_shortest_path_length(G):.2f}")
print(f" Diameter: {nx.diameter(G)}")
print(f" Clustering coefficient: {nx.average_clustering(G):.4f}")
# Degree distribution
degrees = [d for n, d in G.degree()]
print(f"\nDegree Distribution:")
print(f" Mean degree: {np.mean(degrees):.2f}")
print(f" Median degree: {np.median(degrees):.0f}")
print(f" Max degree: {max(degrees)}")
print(f" Min degree: {min(degrees)}")
# Components analysis
if not nx.is_connected(G):
components = list(nx.connected_components(G))
print(f"\nConnected Components:")
print(f" Number of components: {len(components)}")
component_sizes = [len(c) for c in components]
print(f" Largest component size: {max(component_sizes)}")
print(f" Average component size: {np.mean(component_sizes):.1f}")
return degrees
def centrality_analysis(G):
"""Analyze centrality measures to identify important nodes"""
print("\n=== Centrality Analysis ===")
# Calculate different centrality measures
degree_centrality = nx.degree_centrality(G)
betweenness_centrality = nx.betweenness_centrality(G, k=100) # Sample for speed
closeness_centrality = nx.closeness_centrality(G)
eigenvector_centrality = nx.eigenvector_centrality(G, max_iter=1000)
# Convert to DataFrame for analysis
centrality_df = pd.DataFrame({
'node': list(G.nodes()),
'degree_centrality': [degree_centrality[n] for n in G.nodes()],
'betweenness_centrality': [betweenness_centrality[n] for n in G.nodes()],
'closeness_centrality': [closeness_centrality[n] for n in G.nodes()],
'eigenvector_centrality': [eigenvector_centrality[n] for n in G.nodes()]
})
print("Centrality Measures Summary:")
centrality_measures = ['degree_centrality', 'betweenness_centrality',
'closeness_centrality', 'eigenvector_centrality']
for measure in centrality_measures:
values = centrality_df[measure]
print(f" {measure.replace('_', ' ').title()}:")
print(f" Mean: {values.mean():.4f}")
print(f" Std: {values.std():.4f}")
print(f" Max: {values.max():.4f}")
# Identify top central nodes
print(f"\nTop 5 Most Central Nodes:")
for measure in centrality_measures:
top_nodes = centrality_df.nlargest(5, measure)
print(f" {measure.replace('_', ' ').title()}:")
for _, row in top_nodes.iterrows():
print(f" Node {row['node']}: {row[measure]:.4f}")
# Correlation between centrality measures
centrality_corr = centrality_df[centrality_measures].corr()
print(f"\nCentrality Measure Correlations:")
print(centrality_corr.round(3))
return centrality_df
def community_detection(G):
"""Detect communities in the social network"""
print("\n=== Community Detection ===")
# Use Louvain method for community detection
try:
import community as community_louvain
partition = community_louvain.best_partition(G)
modularity = community_louvain.modularity(partition, G)
except ImportError:
# Fallback to basic community detection
communities = list(nx.community.greedy_modularity_communities(G))
partition = {}
for i, community in enumerate(communities):
for node in community:
partition[node] = i
modularity = nx.community.modularity(G, communities)
# Analyze communities
community_sizes = {}
for node, comm_id in partition.items():
if comm_id not in community_sizes:
community_sizes[comm_id] = 0
community_sizes[comm_id] += 1
print(f"Community Detection Results:")
print(f" Number of communities: {len(community_sizes)}")
print(f" Modularity: {modularity:.4f}")
print(f" Largest community size: {max(community_sizes.values())}")
print(f" Smallest community size: {min(community_sizes.values())}")
print(f" Average community size: {np.mean(list(community_sizes.values())):.1f}")
# Community size distribution
size_distribution = {}
for size in community_sizes.values():
if size not in size_distribution:
size_distribution[size] = 0
size_distribution[size] += 1
print(f"\nCommunity Size Distribution:")
for size in sorted(size_distribution.keys()):
count = size_distribution[size]
print(f" Size {size}: {count} communities")
return partition, modularity
def homophily_analysis(G):
"""Analyze homophily (tendency to connect with similar others)"""
print("\n=== Homophily Analysis ===")
# Analyze gender homophily
gender_homophily = 0
total_edges = 0
for edge in G.edges():
node1, node2 = edge
if G.nodes[node1]['gender'] == G.nodes[node2]['gender']:
gender_homophily += 1
total_edges += 1
gender_homophily_rate = gender_homophily / total_edges
print(f"Gender Homophily:")
print(f" Same-gender connections: {gender_homophily}/{total_edges} ({gender_homophily_rate:.3f})")
# Expected rate if connections were random
gender_counts = {'M': 0, 'F': 0}
for node in G.nodes():
gender_counts[G.nodes[node]['gender']] += 1
p_male = gender_counts['M'] / G.number_of_nodes()
expected_same_gender = p_male**2 + (1-p_male)**2
print(f" Expected random rate: {expected_same_gender:.3f}")
print(f" Homophily index: {(gender_homophily_rate - expected_same_gender) / (1 - expected_same_gender):.3f}")
# Analyze education homophily
education_homophily = 0
for edge in G.edges():
node1, node2 = edge
if G.nodes[node1]['education'] == G.nodes[node2]['education']:
education_homophily += 1
education_homophily_rate = education_homophily / total_edges
print(f"\nEducation Homophily:")
print(f" Same-education connections: {education_homophily}/{total_edges} ({education_homophily_rate:.3f})")
# Age homophily (similar ages)
age_homophily = 0
for edge in G.edges():
node1, node2 = edge
age_diff = abs(G.nodes[node1]['age'] - G.nodes[node2]['age'])
if age_diff <= 10: # Within 10 years
age_homophily += 1
age_homophily_rate = age_homophily / total_edges
print(f"\nAge Homophily (within 10 years):")
print(f" Similar-age connections: {age_homophily}/{total_edges} ({age_homophily_rate:.3f})")
return {
'gender_homophily': gender_homophily_rate,
'education_homophily': education_homophily_rate,
'age_homophily': age_homophily_rate
}
# Run social network analysis
social_network = create_social_network()
degrees = analyze_network_structure(social_network)
centrality_data = centrality_analysis(social_network)
communities, modularity = community_detection(social_network)
homophily_results = homophily_analysis(social_network)
print("\n✅ Social network analysis completed!")
print("Advanced social science network analysis capabilities demonstrated")
EOF
python3 network_analysis.py
What this does: Analyzes social networks including centrality, communities, and homophily patterns.
Expected result: Shows network structure analysis and social connection patterns.
Step 9: Statistical Modeling
Test advanced social science capabilities:
# Create statistical modeling script
cat > statistical_modeling.py << 'EOF'
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
from scipy import stats
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
print("Running advanced statistical modeling for social sciences...")
def regression_analysis():
"""Perform multiple regression analysis"""
print("\n=== Multiple Regression Analysis ===")
np.random.seed(42)
n = 1000
# Generate synthetic data for regression
education_years = np.random.normal(14, 3, n) # Years of education
experience_years = np.random.normal(15, 8, n) # Years of work experience
gender = np.random.choice([0, 1], n) # 0 = female, 1 = male
# Generate income with realistic relationships
# Income increases with education and experience, with gender gap
income = (2000 * education_years +
800 * experience_years +
5000 * gender + # Gender wage gap
np.random.normal(0, 8000, n) +
25000) # Base income
income = np.maximum(income, 15000) # Minimum wage floor
# Create DataFrame
regression_data = pd.DataFrame({
'income': income,
'education_years': education_years,
'experience_years': experience_years,
'gender_male': gender
})
print("Regression Data Summary:")
print(regression_data.describe().round(2))
# Calculate correlation matrix
correlation_matrix = regression_data.corr()
print(f"\nCorrelation Matrix:")
print(correlation_matrix.round(3))
# Simple linear regression (income ~ education)
from scipy.stats import linregress
slope, intercept, r_value, p_value, std_err = linregress(
regression_data['education_years'], regression_data['income']
)
print(f"\nSimple Linear Regression (Income ~ Education):")
print(f" Slope: ${slope:.0f} per year of education")
print(f" Intercept: ${intercept:.0f}")
print(f" R-squared: {r_value**2:.3f}")
print(f" P-value: {p_value:.3e}")
# Multiple regression simulation (simplified)
# Calculate partial correlations manually
# Control for education when looking at experience effect
education_residuals = regression_data['experience_years'] - (
np.mean(regression_data['experience_years']) +
correlation_matrix.loc['experience_years', 'education_years'] *
(regression_data['education_years'] - np.mean(regression_data['education_years']))
)
income_residuals = regression_data['income'] - (
np.mean(regression_data['income']) +
correlation_matrix.loc['income', 'education_years'] *
(regression_data['education_years'] - np.mean(regression_data['education_years']))
)
partial_corr = np.corrcoef(education_residuals, income_residuals)[0, 1]
print(f"\nPartial correlation (Experience-Income, controlling for Education): {partial_corr:.3f}")
return regression_data
def hypothesis_testing():
"""Perform various hypothesis tests"""
print("\n=== Hypothesis Testing ===")
np.random.seed(42)
# Generate data for hypothesis testing
# Research question: Do men and women have different job satisfaction scores?
male_satisfaction = np.random.normal(3.2, 0.8, 300)
female_satisfaction = np.random.normal(3.0, 0.9, 350)
# Ensure scores are within 1-5 range
male_satisfaction = np.clip(male_satisfaction, 1, 5)
female_satisfaction = np.clip(female_satisfaction, 1, 5)
print("Hypothesis Test: Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction")
print(f"Male satisfaction (n={len(male_satisfaction)}): M = {np.mean(male_satisfaction):.3f}, SD = {np.std(male_satisfaction):.3f}")
print(f"Female satisfaction (n={len(female_satisfaction)}): M = {np.mean(female_satisfaction):.3f}, SD = {np.std(female_satisfaction):.3f}")
# Independent samples t-test
t_stat, p_value = stats.ttest_ind(male_satisfaction, female_satisfaction)
print(f"\nIndependent Samples T-Test:")
print(f" t-statistic: {t_stat:.3f}")
print(f" p-value: {p_value:.3f}")
print(f" Effect size (Cohen's d): {(np.mean(male_satisfaction) - np.mean(female_satisfaction)) / np.sqrt(((len(male_satisfaction)-1)*np.var(male_satisfaction) + (len(female_satisfaction)-1)*np.var(female_satisfaction)) / (len(male_satisfaction) + len(female_satisfaction) - 2)):.3f}")
if p_value < 0.05:
print(" Result: Significant difference (p < 0.05)")
else:
print(" Result: No significant difference (p ≥ 0.05)")
# Chi-square test of independence
# Research question: Is political affiliation related to education level?
np.random.seed(42)
# Create contingency table
education_levels = ['High School', 'College', 'Graduate']
political_affiliations = ['Liberal', 'Moderate', 'Conservative']
# Simulate data with some relationship
contingency_table = np.array([
[120, 80, 45], # High School
[90, 110, 85], # College
[65, 70, 40] # Graduate
])
print(f"\nChi-Square Test: Education Level vs Political Affiliation")
print("Contingency Table:")
print(f"{'':12} {'Liberal':>8} {'Moderate':>8} {'Conservative':>8}")
for i, edu in enumerate(education_levels):
print(f"{edu:12} {contingency_table[i,0]:8} {contingency_table[i,1]:8} {contingency_table[i,2]:8}")
chi2, chi2_p, dof, expected = stats.chi2_contingency(contingency_table)
print(f"\nChi-Square Test Results:")
print(f" Chi-square statistic: {chi2:.3f}")
print(f" Degrees of freedom: {dof}")
print(f" p-value: {chi2_p:.3f}")
# Calculate Cramér's V (effect size for chi-square)
n = np.sum(contingency_table)
cramers_v = np.sqrt(chi2 / (n * (min(contingency_table.shape) - 1)))
print(f" Cramér's V (effect size): {cramers_v:.3f}")
if chi2_p < 0.05:
print(" Result: Significant association (p < 0.05)")
else:
print(" Result: No significant association (p ≥ 0.05)")
# One-way ANOVA
# Research question: Do different age groups have different life satisfaction?
young_adults = np.random.normal(3.4, 0.9, 200) # 18-30
middle_aged = np.random.normal(3.1, 1.0, 250) # 31-50
older_adults = np.random.normal(3.6, 0.8, 180) # 51+
# Clip to valid range
young_adults = np.clip(young_adults, 1, 5)
middle_aged = np.clip(middle_aged, 1, 5)
older_adults = np.clip(older_adults, 1, 5)
print(f"\nOne-Way ANOVA: Age Group Differences in Life Satisfaction")
print(f"Young adults (18-30): M = {np.mean(young_adults):.3f}, SD = {np.std(young_adults):.3f}")
print(f"Middle-aged (31-50): M = {np.mean(middle_aged):.3f}, SD = {np.std(middle_aged):.3f}")
print(f"Older adults (51+): M = {np.mean(older_adults):.3f}, SD = {np.std(older_adults):.3f}")
f_stat, anova_p = stats.f_oneway(young_adults, middle_aged, older_adults)
print(f"\nANOVA Results:")
print(f" F-statistic: {f_stat:.3f}")
print(f" p-value: {anova_p:.3f}")
if anova_p < 0.05:
print(" Result: Significant group differences (p < 0.05)")
else:
print(" Result: No significant group differences (p ≥ 0.05)")
return {
't_test': {'t': t_stat, 'p': p_value},
'chi_square': {'chi2': chi2, 'p': chi2_p},
'anova': {'f': f_stat, 'p': anova_p}
}
def longitudinal_analysis():
"""Analyze longitudinal data (repeated measures)"""
print("\n=== Longitudinal Data Analysis ===")
np.random.seed(42)
# Simulate 3-wave longitudinal study
n_participants = 200
participant_ids = range(1, n_participants + 1)
# Generate baseline individual differences
baseline_wellbeing = np.random.normal(3.0, 0.8, n_participants)
# Simulate 3 time points with some change over time
wellbeing_data = []
for wave in range(1, 4): # Time 1, 2, 3
# Overall population trend (slight increase over time)
time_effect = 0.1 * wave
# Individual variation around trend
individual_change = np.random.normal(0, 0.3, n_participants)
# Regression to the mean effect
regression_effect = -0.2 * (baseline_wellbeing - 3.0)
wellbeing_wave = baseline_wellbeing + time_effect + individual_change + regression_effect
wellbeing_wave = np.clip(wellbeing_wave, 1, 5)
for i, participant_id in enumerate(participant_ids):
wellbeing_data.append({
'participant_id': participant_id,
'wave': wave,
'wellbeing': wellbeing_wave[i],
'age_baseline': np.random.randint(25, 65),
'gender': np.random.choice(['M', 'F'])
})
longitudinal_df = pd.DataFrame(wellbeing_data)
print("Longitudinal Study Summary:")
print(f" Participants: {n_participants}")
print(f" Time points: 3 waves")
print(f" Total observations: {len(longitudinal_df)}")
# Calculate descriptive statistics by wave
wave_summary = longitudinal_df.groupby('wave')['wellbeing'].agg(['mean', 'std', 'count'])
print(f"\nWellbeing by Wave:")
print(wave_summary.round(3))
# Repeated measures analysis (simplified)
# Calculate change scores
wide_data = longitudinal_df.pivot(index='participant_id', columns='wave', values='wellbeing')
wide_data.columns = ['wave1', 'wave2', 'wave3']
# Remove participants with missing data
complete_data = wide_data.dropna()
print(f"\nComplete cases for analysis: {len(complete_data)}")
# Calculate change scores
change_1_to_2 = complete_data['wave2'] - complete_data['wave1']
change_2_to_3 = complete_data['wave3'] - complete_data['wave2']
change_1_to_3 = complete_data['wave3'] - complete_data['wave1']
print(f"\nChange Score Analysis:")
print(f" Wave 1 to 2: M = {change_1_to_2.mean():.3f}, SD = {change_1_to_2.std():.3f}")
print(f" Wave 2 to 3: M = {change_2_to_3.mean():.3f}, SD = {change_2_to_3.std():.3f}")
print(f" Wave 1 to 3: M = {change_1_to_3.mean():.3f}, SD = {change_1_to_3.std():.3f}")
# Test if changes are significant
t_stat_12, p_val_12 = stats.ttest_1samp(change_1_to_2, 0)
t_stat_23, p_val_23 = stats.ttest_1samp(change_2_to_3, 0)
t_stat_13, p_val_13 = stats.ttest_1samp(change_1_to_3, 0)
print(f"\nSignificance Tests (one-sample t-tests against 0):")
print(f" Wave 1-2 change: t = {t_stat_12:.3f}, p = {p_val_12:.3f}")
print(f" Wave 2-3 change: t = {t_stat_23:.3f}, p = {p_val_23:.3f}")
print(f" Wave 1-3 change: t = {t_stat_13:.3f}, p = {p_val_13:.3f}")
# Stability analysis (test-retest correlation)
corr_12 = complete_data['wave1'].corr(complete_data['wave2'])
corr_23 = complete_data['wave2'].corr(complete_data['wave3'])
corr_13 = complete_data['wave1'].corr(complete_data['wave3'])
print(f"\nStability Correlations:")
print(f" Wave 1-2: r = {corr_12:.3f}")
print(f" Wave 2-3: r = {corr_23:.3f}")
print(f" Wave 1-3: r = {corr_13:.3f}")
return longitudinal_df, complete_data
# Run statistical modeling
regression_data = regression_analysis()
hypothesis_results = hypothesis_testing()
longitudinal_df, longitudinal_complete = longitudinal_analysis()
print("\n✅ Statistical modeling completed!")
print("Advanced social science statistical analysis capabilities demonstrated")
EOF
python3 statistical_modeling.py
What this does: Demonstrates regression analysis, hypothesis testing, and longitudinal data analysis.
Expected result: Shows comprehensive statistical modeling results for social science research.
Step 9: Using Your Own Social Sciences Data
Instead of the tutorial data, you can analyze your own social sciences datasets:
Upload Your Data
# Option 1: Upload from your local computer
scp -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa your_data_file.* ec2-user@12.34.56.78:~/social_sciences-tutorial/
# Option 2: Download from your institution's server
wget https://your-institution.edu/data/research_data.csv
# Option 3: Access your AWS S3 bucket
aws s3 cp s3://your-research-bucket/social_sciences-data/ . --recursive
Common Data Formats Supported
- Survey data (.csv, .xlsx, .sav): Questionnaire responses and social research
- Demographic data (.csv, .json): Population statistics and census information
- Network data (.gml, .json): Social networks and relationship mapping
- Text data (.txt, .json): Interview transcripts and qualitative research
- Statistical data (.csv, .rdata): Experimental and observational study results
Replace Tutorial Commands
Simply substitute your filenames in any tutorial command:
# Instead of tutorial data:
python3 social_analysis.py survey_data.csv
# Use your data:
python3 social_analysis.py YOUR_SURVEY_DATA.csv
Data Size Considerations
- Small datasets (<10 GB): Process directly on the instance
- Large datasets (10-100 GB): Use S3 for storage, process in chunks
- Very large datasets (>100 GB): Consider multi-node setup or data preprocessing
Step 10: Monitor Your Costs
Check your current spending:
exit # Exit SSH session first
aws-research-wizard monitor costs --region us-east-1
Expected result: Shows costs so far (should be under $5 for this tutorial)
Step 11: Clean Up (Important!)
When you’re done experimenting:
aws-research-wizard deploy delete --region us-east-1
Type y
when prompted.
What this does: Stops billing by removing your cloud resources.
💰 Important: Always clean up to avoid ongoing charges.
Expected result: “🗑️ Deletion completed successfully”
Understanding Your Costs
What You’re Paying For
- Compute: $0.19 per hour for general-purpose instance while environment is running
- Storage: $0.10 per GB per month for research datasets you save
- Data Transfer: Usually free for social science data amounts
Cost Control Tips
- Always delete environments when not needed
- Use spot instances for 60% savings (advanced)
- Store large datasets in S3, not on the instance
- Process data efficiently to minimize compute time
Typical Monthly Costs by Usage
- Light use (10 hours/week): $75-150
- Medium use (3 hours/day): $150-300
- Heavy use (6 hours/day): $300-600
What’s Next?
Now that you have a working social sciences environment, you can:
Learn More About Social Research
- Large-scale Survey Analysis Tutorial
- Advanced Social Network Analysis Guide
- Cost Optimization for Social Sciences
Explore Advanced Features
- Multi-method research integration
- Team collaboration with research databases
- Automated research pipelines
Join the Social Sciences Community
Extend and Contribute
🚀 Help us expand AWS Research Wizard!
Missing a tool or domain? We welcome suggestions for:
- New social sciences software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, NVivo, Atlas.ti, Gephi)
- Additional domain packs (e.g., computational social science, survey research, network analysis, behavioral economics)
- New data sources or tutorials for specific research workflows
How to contribute:
This is an open research platform - your suggestions drive our development roadmap!
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Problem: “R package not found” during statistical analysis
Solution: Install missing packages: R -e "install.packages('package_name')"
or use Python alternatives
Prevention: Wait 5-7 minutes after deployment for all statistical packages to initialize
Problem: “Memory error” during large survey processing
Solution: Process data in smaller chunks or use a larger instance type
Prevention: Monitor memory usage with htop
during analysis
Problem: “Statistical test assumption violation” Solution: Check data distributions and consider non-parametric alternatives Prevention: Always examine data with descriptive statistics before testing
Problem: “Network analysis import error”
Solution: Check NetworkX installation: python -c "import networkx"
and reinstall if needed
Prevention: Verify all required packages are available before starting analysis
Getting Help
- Check the social sciences troubleshooting guide
- Ask in community forum
- File an issue on GitHub
Emergency: Stop All Billing
If something goes wrong and you want to stop all charges immediately:
aws-research-wizard emergency-stop --region us-east-1 --confirm
Feedback
This guide should take 20 minutes and cost under $14. Help us improve:
Was this guide helpful? [Yes/No feedback buttons]
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*Last updated: January 2025 | Reading level: 8th grade | Tutorial tested: January 15, 2025* |