Sometimes statistics are "buried" within the text of journal, magazine, or newspaper articles
As you research, take the time to skim through your findings to uncover these "buried treasures"
Follow leads in the article to find other statistics (see example below):
(click on image to enlarge)
Statistics are often found inside books and articles, namely, in the graphs, charts, and diagrams within them. The image of the graph below is from a CQ Research report and is but one example of how you can locate find statistical information in larger information sources.
(click on image to enlarge)
Image Source: Mantel, B. (2010, April 2). Breast cancer. CQ Researcher, 20, 289-312. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com
The databases below are great places to find articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals. Looking for statistics embedded within these articles can be helpful.
Sometimes statistics are "buried" within the text of books, journals, magazines, or newspapers. Try this search strategy when you are looking for articles from library databases.
As shown in the image below, you can start by choosing the advanced search option.
You can then search a keyword or two for your topic. Here, in the first box, the word "obesity" is the keyword/topic.
Then in the next box, you can add the word statistics and then limit that row to "SU Subject Terms."
(click on image to enlarge)
In EBSCO's Academic Search Complete database, you can carry out a similar search as that above.
As shown in the image below, you can start by choosing the advanced search option.
You can then search a keyword or two for your topic. Here, in the first box, the word "obesity" is the keyword/topic.
Then in the next box, you can add the word statistics and then limit that row to "SU Subject Terms."
(Click on image to enlarge)
Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology
by
In this newly updated Fourth Edition, new terms are defined, new synonyms are included, and both are illustrated with new graphics. Growth in the fields of statistics and methodology has mandated these inclusions. The number of definitions and illustrations has grown from about 2,400 in the third edition to about 2,800 in this one, an increase of around 16 percent. While some entries have been shortened and obsolete ones have been deleted, which helped make room for the new entries, comparatively few terms from the earlier editions have been deleted. The importance of classic terms persists even as new techniques and the terms describing them are invented. Finally, the suggestions for further reading have been updated and a new section on Useful Websites on Statistics and Methodology has been added.
Critical Statistics
by
Awarded the 2019 Most Promising New Textbook Award by the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. This accessible and entertaining new textbook provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to understand the barrage of numbers encountered in their everyday lives and studies. Almost all the statistics in the news, on social media or in scientific reports are based on just a few core concepts, including measurement (ensuring we count the right thing), causation (determining whether one thing causes another) and sampling (using just a few people to understand a whole population). By explaining these concepts in plain language, without complex mathematics, this book prepares students to meet the statistical world head on and to begin their own quantitative research projects. Ideal for students facing statistical research for the first time, or for anyone interested in understanding more about the numbers in the news, this textbook helps students to see beyond the headlines and behind the numbers.
The Art of Statistics
by
In this "important and comprehensive" guide to statistical thinking (New Yorker), discover how data literacy is changing the world and gives you a better understanding of life's biggest problems. Statistics are everywhere, as integral to science as they are to business, and in the popular media hundreds of times a day. In this age of big data, a basic grasp of statistical literacy is more important than ever if we want to separate the fact from the fiction, the ostentatious embellishments from the raw evidence -- and even more so if we hope to participate in the future, rather than being simple bystanders. In The Art of Statistics, world-renowned statistician David Spiegelhalter shows readers how to derive knowledge from raw data by focusing on the concepts and connections behind the math. Drawing on real world examples to introduce complex issues, he shows us how statistics can help us determine the luckiest passenger on the Titanic, whether a notorious serial killer could have been caught earlier, and if screening for ovarian cancer is beneficial. The Art of Statistics not only shows us how mathematicians have used statistical science to solve these problems -- it teaches us how we too can think like statisticians. We learn how to clarify our questions, assumptions, and expectations when approaching a problem, and -- perhaps even more importantly -- we learn how to responsibly interpret the answers we receive. Combining the incomparable insight of an expert with the playful enthusiasm of an aficionado, The Art of Statistics is the definitive guide to stats that every modern person needs.
Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists
by
Naked Statistics: stripping the dread from the data
by
Once considered tedious, the field of statistics is rapidly evolving into a discipline Hal Varian, chief economist at Google, has actually called "sexy." From batting averages and political polls to game shows and medical research, the real-world application of statistics continues to grow by leaps and bounds. How can we catch schools that cheat on standardized tests? How does Netflix know which movies you'll like? What is causing the rising incidence of autism? As best-selling author Charles Wheelan shows us in Naked Statistics, the right data and a few well-chosen statistical tools can help us answer these questions and more. For those who slept through Stats 101, this book is a lifesaver. Wheelan strips away the arcane and technical details and focuses on the underlying intuition that drives statistical analysis. He clarifies key concepts such as inference, correlation, and regression analysis, reveals how biased or careless parties can manipulate or misrepresent data, and shows us how brilliant and creative researchers are exploiting the valuable data from natural experiments to tackle thorny questions. And in Wheelan's trademark style, there's not a dull page in sight. You'll encounter clever Schlitz Beer marketers leveraging basic probability, an International Sausage Festival illuminating the tenets of the central limit theorem, and a head-scratching choice from the famous game show Let's Make a Deal--and you'll come away with insights each time. With the wit, accessibility, and sheer fun that turned Naked Economics into a bestseller, Wheelan defies the odds yet again by bringing another essential, formerly unglamorous discipline to life.