Transforming Legal Concepts into Programming: Composing my Quantitative Junior Paper for SPIA using Code
Ryan Champeau, a Social Sciences Correspondent and Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) major, recently presented his research on changes in public perception of education inadequacies during the pandemic at the "Junior Paper (JP)" presentations.
During his junior year, Ryan focused on quantitative research for his JP, delving into the impact of COVID-19 on education views. He identified a question on American National Election Studies (ANES) asking views towards public school funding before and after the start of the pandemic. His research found that people became significantly less supportive of public school funding after the pandemic, even though more funding was needed.
The "Junior Paper (JP)" presentations provide students with the opportunity to share their research findings with a broader audience, including experts in their field. These presentations are a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to engage with the academic community at Princeton University. They are also a chance for students to showcase their research skills and gain valuable feedback.
Ryan's research project followed a standard workflow enriched by SPIA’s policy focus and supported by Princeton’s robust library services. He defined his research question, conducted a literature review, identified appropriate data sources, obtained and cleaned the data, analyzed it quantitatively, interpreted his results, wrote up his findings, and presented his research. During the analysis stage, Ryan utilised Stokes Library Research Consultants for assistance, especially for statistical programming and data analysis in R.
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) offers a range of courses relevant to Ryan's research, such as SPI333: Law, Institutions, and Public Policy and POL346: Applied Quantitative Analysis. Ryan also enrolled in SPI404: Impatient Politics: Time Horizons in Public Opinion about Public Policy.
Ryan's research on education funding during COVID-19 has potential for further research opportunities and collaborations with faculty members at Princeton University. In fact, he presented his JP to Congressmember Bush, showcasing the impact and relevance of his findings.
The "Junior Paper (JP)" presentations are a significant part of the undergraduate experience at Princeton University, offering students a platform to share their research, gain valuable feedback, and engage with the academic community.
While working on his Junior Paper (JP) at Princeton University, Ryan Champeau, a SPIA major, delved into the impact of COVID-19 on public education views. His senior thesis could expand on this research, investigating further changes in people's opinions about public school funding and the role of online-education in self-development during the pandemic.
