次級資料分析（Secondary data analysis）是使用既有的統計資料來對研究主題進行實證分析的社會研究方法，而既有的統計資料包含人口普查及各種大型學術資料庫，例如台灣社會變遷基本調查計畫。相對於蒐集初級資料（Primary data）而進行的研究，使用次級資料的優勢為：(1) 研究者為取得大型樣本的資料所需花費的時間及金錢成本較低；(2) 資料庫的蒐集通常已採用隨機抽樣原則，分析該類資料的研究成果將能推論至整體社會；(3) 資料庫的蒐集通常為跨時間及跨區域，可用來檢驗跨時變化或跨域比較的研究主題。隨著網路介面的發達及電腦運算速度的提升，對於可公開下載的次級資料庫的運用更是日益方便，次級資料分析便成為當前常見的社會學研究方法之一。
目前社會科學常使用的統計軟體相當多元，但通常以使用者付費的為主。R是一個程式語言且為少數免付費、開放原始碼（open-source）及跨平台的統計運算及繪圖軟體，它可在Microsoft Windows、Mac OS及多數UNIX平台上運作。它的操作介面雖然完全以程式語言控制，但學習門檻低，可以作為學習程式語言邏輯的入門，且其繪製的圖表常能見於學術期刊上。R的擴充性強，有各種套件（packages）及說明檔案可供下載使用來進行統計分析；資料讀取也與其他統計軟體的格式相容，可讀取的格式包括純文字檔、Microsoft Excel、SAS、SPSS、Stata等。
Secondary data analysis is a social research method that uses existing statistical data to conduct practical analysis of research topics. The existing statistical data includes census and various large-scale academic databases, such as Taiwan's basic social change survey plan. Compared with the research conducted to collect primary data, the advantages of using secondary data are: (1) The time and cost of the researcher spending less to obtain data from large samples; (2) The collection of databases usually adopts the principle of random sampling, and the research results of analyzing this type of data will be recommended to the overall society; (3) The collection of databases is usually cross-time and cross-regional, and can be used to examine cross-time variation or cross-domain comparison research topics. With the development of network interfaces and the improvement of computer computing speed, the use of secondary data databases that can be downloaded publicly is becoming increasingly convenient, and secondary data analysis has become one of the common social research methods at present.
Currently, the structural software commonly used in social sciences is quite diverse, but it is usually mainly paid by users. R is a programming language that is free to pay, open-source, and cross-platform computing and drawing software, which can operate on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and many UNIX platforms. Although its operating interface is completely controlled in programming language, it has a low learning gate and can be used as an entry to learning programming language logic. The graphs it draws are often seen in academic journals. R is highly extensible, with various packages and instructions files for download for statistical analysis; data reading is also compatible with the formats of other statistical software, and readable formats include pure text files, Microsoft Excel, SAS, SPSS, Stata, etc.
(1) 吳明隆，2015，《R統計軟體應用分析實務》。台北：五南。
(2) Jared P. Lander（鍾振蔚譯），2015，《R軟體資料分析基礎與應用》。台北：旗標。
(3) Liahna E. Gordon, 2016,“Real research; research methods sociology students can use”. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
(1) Wu Minglong, 2015, "R-State Project Software Application Analysis and Implementation". Taipei: Wunan.
(2) Jared P. Lander (Remodel of Long Zhenwei), 2015, "Basics and Applications of R Software Data Analysis". Taipei: Flag mark.
(3) Liahna E. Gordon, 2016, “Real research; research methods sociology students can use”. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
| 評分項目 Grading Method | 配分比例 Grading percentage | 說明 Description |
|---|---|---|
| 平日小組作業平日小組作業 Weekday group work |
15 | 包含隨堂電腦軟體操作及輸出。 |
| 期中個人口頭及書面報告期中個人口頭及書面報告 Midterm population and written reports |
30 | 包含關於R軟體的操作與分析內容的詮釋；針對次級資料庫中所選擇之研究議題所做之分析與詮釋，引用及書寫格式請比照《臺灣社會學刊》撰稿體例，若有抄襲之情事以零分計。 |
| 期末個人口頭及書面報告期末個人口頭及書面報告 End of the period and written report |
35 | 包含關於R軟體的操作與分析內容的詮釋；針對次級資料庫中所選擇之研究議題所做之分析與詮釋，引用及書寫格式請比照《臺灣社會學刊》撰稿體例，若有抄襲之情事以零分計。 |
| 分組個人表現分組個人表現 Group personal performance |
10 | 由同學互相評鑑。 |
