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  • Goal: to demonstrate how bias affects survey results Materials: printed sheets: BiasCounting30-30.docx Time: 10 minutes In this exercise, students are given handouts that show numbered counters scattered on a checkerboard surface....August 1, 2012

    Exercise: The checkerboard bias

    Goal: to demonstrate how bias affects survey results Materials: printed sheets: BiasCounting30-30.docx Time: 10 minutes In this exercise, students are given handouts that show numbered counters scattered on a checkerboard surface….

  • Goal: demonstrate that numbers are easier to understand when broken down and put into context Materials: printed sheets Time: 5 minutes In this exercise, the class votes with their feet...July 31, 2012

    Exercise: Budget breakdown

    Goal: demonstrate that numbers are easier to understand when broken down and put into context Materials: printed sheets Time: 5 minutes In this exercise, the class votes with their feet…

  •   Goal: demonstrate that extreme results are not necessarily out of the ordinary Materials needed: two dice per person, sheets of paper labelled clearly 2 to 12 Time: 10 minutes...July 27, 2012

    Exercise: Deadly doctors

      Goal: demonstrate that extreme results are not necessarily out of the ordinary Materials needed: two dice per person, sheets of paper labelled clearly 2 to 12 Time: 10 minutes…

  • Goal: To illustrate regression to the mean Materials needed: 2 dice per person, a "speed camera" (i.e. cardboard cutout). Estimated time: 5-8 minutes Regression to the mean is another way of saying...July 26, 2012

    Exercise: The Spurious Speed Camera

    Goal: To illustrate regression to the mean Materials needed: 2 dice per person, a “speed camera” (i.e. cardboard cutout). Estimated time: 5-8 minutes Regression to the mean is another way of saying…

  • HealthNewsReview.org is a website dedicated to improving the accuracy of news stories about medical treatments, tests, products and procedures.  A panel of independent experts review the latest health news, encouraging...July 16, 2012

    The essentials of good health reporting

    HealthNewsReview.org is a website dedicated to improving the accuracy of news stories about medical treatments, tests, products and procedures.  A panel of independent experts review the latest health news, encouraging…

  • “Questions to guide reporting” tipsheet by the Center for Medicine and the Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. “How to highlight study cautions” tipsheet with...May 8, 2012

    Questions to ask when reporting a study

    “Questions to guide reporting” tipsheet by the Center for Medicine and the Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. “How to highlight study cautions” tipsheet with…

  •   “Should science journalists take sides?”, audio recording of a discussion at the Royal Institution between science journalists Mark Henderson (The Times) and Ed Yong, Today programme editor Ceri Thomas...May 8, 2012

    Balance in science stories

      “Should science journalists take sides?”, audio recording of a discussion at the Royal Institution between science journalists Mark Henderson (The Times) and Ed Yong, Today programme editor Ceri Thomas…

  • “A short guide to peer review” by Sense About Science See the Cochrane Collaboration for examples of systematic reviews. “Body of evidence” from Massachusetts General Hospital’s proto magazine works through a hypothetical...May 8, 2012

    Peer review and replication

    “A short guide to peer review” by Sense About Science See the Cochrane Collaboration for examples of systematic reviews. “Body of evidence” from Massachusetts General Hospital’s proto magazine works through a hypothetical…

  • “What does it mean for a result to be statistically significant?” from STATS.org “Confusing Terms In Statistics” by Kevin McConway of the Open University explains how statisticians do not use...May 8, 2012

    Significance and uncertainty

    “What does it mean for a result to be statistically significant?” from STATS.org “Confusing Terms In Statistics” by Kevin McConway of the Open University explains how statisticians do not use…

  • “What is the Difference Between Controlled and Observational Studies?” and “What are Confounding Factors and How do they Affect Studies?” from STATS.org, explain the pros and cons of the two...May 8, 2012

    Types of study and what they can tell us

    “What is the Difference Between Controlled and Observational Studies?” and “What are Confounding Factors and How do they Affect Studies?” from STATS.org, explain the pros and cons of the two…

  •   “How to: get a head start in health and science journalism” tips from Kim Rutter, freelance journalist, on journalism.co.uk on what journalists need to understand about the scientific method...May 8, 2012

    Scientific method

      “How to: get a head start in health and science journalism” tips from Kim Rutter, freelance journalist, on journalism.co.uk on what journalists need to understand about the scientific method…

  •   “Risk Reporting 101: What journalists should know about hazards and exposure” by US journalist-turned-academic David Ropeik. Covers the difference between risk, hazard and exposure; putting risk in context; and...May 8, 2012

    Risk

      “Risk Reporting 101: What journalists should know about hazards and exposure” by US journalist-turned-academic David Ropeik. Covers the difference between risk, hazard and exposure; putting risk in context; and…

  •   Poynter News University self-directed online course for journalists on “Understanding and Interpreting Polls” “20 Questions A Journalist Should Ask About Poll Results” by the National Council on Public Polls...May 8, 2012

    Understanding polls and surveys

      Poynter News University self-directed online course for journalists on “Understanding and Interpreting Polls” “20 Questions A Journalist Should Ask About Poll Results” by the National Council on Public Polls…

  •   US journalist Robert Niles’ guide to calculating mean, median and mode and which you should use when. “How to Deal with Statistics” by the Science Literacy Project, a US...May 8, 2012

    Averages and distributions

      US journalist Robert Niles’ guide to calculating mean, median and mode and which you should use when. “How to Deal with Statistics” by the Science Literacy Project, a US…

  •     “How to get to grips with numbers as a journalist”, a practical guide written by Steve Harrison, a journalism lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University for journalism.co.uk MeasuringWorth.com,...May 8, 2012

    Putting numbers into context

        “How to get to grips with numbers as a journalist”, a practical guide written by Steve Harrison, a journalism lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University for journalism.co.uk MeasuringWorth.com,…

  • “Numbers” by the BBC College of Journalism, a video/interactive course for journalists “to help you spot the spin, the damned lies and statistics, and to help you to use the...May 8, 2012

    General resources on statistics for journalists

    “Numbers” by the BBC College of Journalism, a video/interactive course for journalists “to help you spot the spin, the damned lies and statistics, and to help you to use the…

  • People tend to assume that a group of points arranged randomly should spread out evenly. Consequently, any visible trend or cluster on a map of, say, cancer cases, is viewed with suspicion. May 4, 2012

    Exercise: Mapping Randomness

    People tend to assume that a group of points arranged randomly should spread out evenly. Consequently, any visible trend or cluster on a map of, say, cancer cases, is viewed with suspicion.

  •   Goal: to understand different types of averages exist, and know which is most appropriate to use  Materials needed: pen and paper. Estimated time: 5 minutes. Average is a word...May 2, 2012

    Exercise: Illustrating the mean, the median, and the mode

      Goal: to understand different types of averages exist, and know which is most appropriate to use  Materials needed: pen and paper. Estimated time: 5 minutes. Average is a word…