Social Statistics Commons^™

Considering What Counts: On The Clock, Joel Best

Numeracy

For decades, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has presented "crime clocks"--graphs which use clock-face graphs to depict the average time between incidents of particular crimes. Similar devices have been adopted by all sorts of organizations warning that "An instance of X occurs every Y seconds." While this is a popular way of presenting social statistics, it is deeply flawed.

Author’S Reflections On Making Sense Of Numbers: Quantitative Reasoning For Social Research, Jane E. Miller

Numeracy

Miller, Jane E. 2021. Making Sense of Numbers: Quantitative Reasoning for Social Research. (Los Angeles: SAGE Publications) 608 pp. ISBN 978-1544355597.

This article introduces and provides an excerpt from Making Sense of Numbers: Quantitative Reasoning for Social Research, published by Sage. The book explains and illustrates how making sense of numbers involves integrating concepts and skills from mathematics, statistics, study design, and communications, along with information about the specific topic and context under study. It teaches how to avoid making common errors of logic, calculation, and interpretation by introducing a systematic approach and a healthy dose of skepticism …