Summer school: Path analysis in ecology
(ECL
805)
May 2 to 6th, 2022
Information you will need before registering
Documents and R functions to obtain before the course
Course description
ECL 805 Analyse des pistes en écologie II (Path analysis in Ecology)
This course is for both Master's and PhD students
(Please note this course code you will need to enter it when registering)
Ecologists often pose cause-and-effect hypotheses involving several variables in systems for which controlled randomised experiments are not possible. When this occurs one must use a set of statistical methods called "structural equations modelling" or "path analysis". In this intensive five-day course you will learn the basics of these methods and how to apply them in your ecological research. Theoretical sessions will be interspersed with practical sessions using the free R software. You are encouraged to use your own data sets whenever possible. This course is listed as a doctoral level course, but MSc and post-docs can also take it. A maximum of 30 people can take this course and priority will be given to graduate students. The course begins at 9AM on the 2st of May and runs all day until 5 PM. The course ends at noon on the 6st of May.
The course content follows Shipley, B. 2016. Cause and correlation in biology: A user's guide to path analysis, structural equations, and causal inference with R, Cambridge University Press (2nd edition). You must have a copy and can order it from Cambridge University Press or from Amazon.
Since this summer school targets an international audience, the language of instruction is English but questions in French are welcome. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the course will be given via distance learning. Lectures are pre-recorded. Question and answer sessions and the practical sessions are given interactively via TEAMS. Students in different time zones will be able to view the pre-recorded lectures at any time but everyone must be available during the practical sessions.
Course prerequisites:
(1) You must be a graduate student (MSc, PhD) or post-doc. Priority will be given to students who are officially registered in this course and the total number of spaces is 30. People other than graduate students can resister for the course if space is available.
(2) You must have a basic knowledge of statistical analysis (inferential tests, correlation, regression and linear models)
(3) You must have a basic knowledge of the R statistical software
(4) You must have a portable computer with R installed before the start of the course, including the following libraries: lavaan, ggm, piecewiseSEM and CausalToolbox (this last one is available from Github).
Subjects
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Experimental methods, control of variables and their relationship with SEM
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The concept of d-separation and the logic of the dsep test
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Extensions of dsep models to more complex data types: glm, mixed models, phylogenetic corrections; the piecewiseSEM library
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Covariance algebra; Structural equations; Free/fixed parameters; ML chi-square; the logic of SEM
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The lavaan package in R for SEM; fitting, testing SEM; decomposing effects
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The concept of latent variables; measurement models; fitting with lavaan
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Types of latent variables and their importance for ecology
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The full SEM model; robust methods; Monte Carlo chi-square; approximate fit indices
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Multigroup models; phylogenetic corrections
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Exploratory methods
Costs
Students registered at the University of Sherbooke: the course is included with your normal registration and course credit is automatically assigned.
Students registered in another Quebec University: the course is included with your normal registration, and the course credit is automatically assigned at your university if you register via the CRÉPUQ.
Other students: Your course is paid by the Science Faculty; you don't pay!
Obtaining credit
These courses are part of the course offerings of the Biology Department of the University of Sherbrooke.
Students registered in another Quebec university should register via the CRÉPUQ: https://mobilite-cours.crepuq.qc.ca/4DSTATIC/FRAccueil.html and this will automatically register the credit at their home university.
Students from universities outside Quebec must find out from their home institutions if these credits can be recognised and, if so, how to arrange the transfer. To obtain an official transcript for this course from the Université de Sherbrooke, go to: : http://www.usherbrooke.ca/etudiants/services-universitaires/demandes-de-documents-officiels/
Information you will need before registering
(1) Graduate students already registered at the Université de Sherbrooke: Register in the normal way via your fiche d'inscription, then inform me of this via email: Bill.Shipley@USherbrooke.ca
(2) Graduate students from other Quebec universities: Register via the CRÉPUQ: https://mobilite-cours.crepuq.qc.ca/4DSTATIC/FRAccueil.html, then inform me of this via email: Bill.Shipley@USherbrooke.ca.
(3) All other people: assemble the necessary documents below, fill out this registration form and send it, along with scanned copies any other documents (passport page, CAQ etc.) to Bill.Shipley@USherbrooke.ca
Personal information:
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Family name
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First name
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Citizenship
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City and country of birth
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Mother's maiden name
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Father's name
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Mailing address
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Email address
Also:
If you are a registered student in another Quebec university and don't register via the CRÉPUQ:
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Canadian student registered in another Quebec university: : permanent code number et a copy of your birth certificate.
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Canadian student registered in another Canadian province: a copy of your birth certificate.
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Permanent resident: reco-verso copy of your permanent resident card, copy of your birth certificate and a copy of your CSQ (certificat de sélection du Québec), if applicable.
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Permanent resident who is now a Canadian citizen : copy of your citizenship card and a copy of your birth certificate.
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Foreign citizen: copy of your passport, a copy of your CAQ (certificat d’acceptation du Québec) and a copy of your study permit.
If you are registered as a student in a Canadian university outside of Quebec:
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Canadian citizen and Quebec resident : permanent code number and a copy of your birth certificate.
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Candian citizen from another province : copy of your birth certificate
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Permanent resident: recto-verso copy of your permanent resident card and a copy of your birth certificate.
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Permanent resident who is now a Canadian citizen : recto-verso copy of you citizenship card and a copy of your birth certificate.
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Foreign citizen: a copy of your passport and a copy of your student permit.
If you do not have the status of a student in
Canada:
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Canadian citizen: a copy of your birth certificate
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Permanent resident of Canada: a recto-verso copy of your permanent resident card, a copy of your birth certificate and a copy of your : CSQ (certificat de sélection du Québec), if applicable.
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Permanent resident who is now a Canadian citizen: a recto-verso copy of your citizenship card and a copy of your birth certificate.
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Foreign citizen: a copy of your passport
How to register for the course
First, please carefully read the above section detailing the information and papers needed for registration. After having assembled all of these, follow the information given above and send it to me by email (Bill.Shipley@USherbrooke.ca).
Documents and R functions to obtain before the course