POLITICAL SCIENCE: SEMINAR IN RESEARCH METHODS

ASSIGNMENT 3 “Data-in-Real-Life”

DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS

NOTE: IN ADDITION TO TURNING INTO BLACKBOARD LEARN, THIS ASSIGNMENT INVOLVES DATA ENTRY INTO THE GOOGLE SHEETS DOCUMENT LINKED IN #2 BELOW.

The purpose of this assignment is (1) to earn some extra points, while applying some concepts that we are learning in the class, (2) to get some experience with data entry, and hence, understanding where “data” comes from, (3) to get some experience with calculating a rate, (4) to think about unit/level of analysis, measurement, and the relationship between COVID-19 and community vulnerability—the latter being a prominent and timely consideration for policymakers across the planet.

1. Read the following:
   1. COVID-19 Disproportionately Impacts Vulnerable Communities.
   2. Identification of Vulnerable Populations and Areas at Higher Risk of COVID-19-Related Mortality during the Early Stage of the Epidemic in the United States.

2. Go to this Google sheets document and select four counties in CA, by typing your name next to those you select.

3. Go to this web site by KQED and select your counties to obtain the following data to enter statistics directly into the above linked document under the appropriately named column: COVID-19 Case Rate per 100,000 (covid_case_rate), Chronic Respiratory Disease Death Rate per 100,000 (respiratory_death_rate), Cardiovascular Disease Death Rate per 100,000 (cardio_death_rate), Percent with Diabetes over Age 20 (percent_diabetes), and finally—use the number of total deaths and most recent (July 2019) CA county population statistics from the US Census Bureau located here to calculate the COVID-19 death rate per 100,000 (covid_death_rate). If you need help with your rate calculations, see this guide.

4. Double check your data entry – it is important to be accurate!

5. What is another measure for a vulnerable population/community besides what you have entered above? Type your answer below (bolded or in another color font please!), and post this document to the link for submission on Blackboard once you have completed your data entry in the Google Sheets document linked in question #2 above.

Cancer Death Rate

RCODE STEPS

This document presents the calculations of the Covid-death rates of the selected 4 counties

Covid-Death Rate Per County

Step 1: Identify the selected counties in Carlifonia

The counties include;Colusa County, Mendocino County, San Fransciso and Solano County

Step 2: Identify the total death rates and total population of each county (From the provided links in the instructions)

Step 3: Begin with Colusa County

The code below is used to calculate covid death rate in Colusa county

Total_death_colusa=16
Total_Population_colusa = 21547

covid_death_colusa= Total_death_colusa/Total_Population_colusa*100000
covid_death_colusa

## [1] 74.25628 (This is the covid death rate on this county)

Step 4: Proceed to Mendocino County

The code below is used to calculate covid death rate in Mendocino county

Total_population_mendocino= 86749
Total_death_mendicino=67

covid_death_mendocino=Total_death_mendicino/Total_population_mendocino*100000
covid_death_mendocino

## [1] 77.23432 (This is the covid death rate on this county)

Step 5: Proceed to San Francisco County

The code below is used to calculate covid death rate in San Francisco county

Total_death_Franscisco=602
Total_population_franscisco=881549

covid_death_fransciso=Total_death_Franscisco/Total_population_franscisco*100000
covid_death_fransciso

## [1] 68.28889 (This is the covid death rate on this county)

Step 6: Proceed to Solano County

The code below is used to calculate covid death rate in Solano county

Total_death_Solano=314
Total_population_solano=447643

covid_death_solano=Total_death_Solano/Total_population_solano*100000
covid_death_solano

## [1] 70.14518 (This is the covid death rate on this county)