1. HELPING STUDENTS
WHO NEED HELP WITH DATA
Rachael Barlow
Trinity College
June 17, 2011
Credit:DietmutTeijgeman-Hansen
On flickr: tdietmut

2. What is data about?

3. Credit:anonymousOn flickr: Let Ideas Compete

4. Credit:TomSchekenbergOn flickr: Tom M Schekenberg

5. Credit: Sarah Cady
Onflickr:SarahCady

6. Math
Measurement
Management

9. Credit: anonymous
Onflickr:MeatheadMovers

10. Math
Measurement
Management
High expectations
Low expectations

11. What does data look like?

12. CASEID AGE SEX SMOKE
0001 25 1 1
0002 42 0 3
0003 19 1 4
0004 56 1 2
0005 39 0 1
SEX = R’s gender
0 = Male
1 = Female
SMOKE = How often do you smoke?
1 = Never
2 = Once or twice in my life
3 = Once or twice a year
4 = Once or twice a week
5 = Daily

13. TOWN MEDINC MA_07_4%G RE_07_6%G
Andover 65,000 67 71
Avon 85,000 89 93
Barkhamsted 53,000 72 78
Bethel 42,000 61 67
Cheshire 75,000 92 95
MEDINC = Median income
MA_07_4%G = Math Mastery Test for 2007 for 4th graders, percent
of students who reached state goal
RE_07_6%G = Reading Mastery Test for 2007 for 6th graders,
percent of students who reached state goal

14. SCHOOL FTE CRIMERATE ONCAMPUS
Amherst 3,534 3 75
Carleton 2,207 1 98
Dickinson 1,894 2 86
UCONN 18,785 7 45
UMASS 27,071 8 62
FTE = Full Time Equivalent
CRIMERATE = Crimes reported per 100 students
ONCAMPUS = Percent of students who live on campus

15. YEAR GDP WALL EDUC
1987 4,345 0 82
1988 5,674 0 83
1989 6,234 1 89
1990 7,462 1 91
1991 8,411 1 94
GDP = In thousands
WALL = After Berlin Wall came down
EDUC = Percent of population that has graduated from high school

16. In sum:
1. Level of aggregation: microdata  town  institution  country
2. Element of time: over time or across people, places, or things
(Time series, panel data, multiple cross sections)
3. Cases
4. Codebook

20. If you are out alone in your neighborhood at night, do you feel (READ LIST)?
1 Very safe 1376
2 Somewhat safe 793
3 Somewhat unsafe 203
4 Very unsafe 74
8 No opinion/DK 75
9 Missing 0
Source: National Firearms Survey, 1999

21. On a scale from 1 to 7 where 1 is not religious and 7 is very religious;
how religious would you say you are?
9 N-INAPPLICABLE
8 R-REFUSED
7 D-DON’T KNOW
1 NOT RELIGIOUS AT ALL
2
3
4
5
6
7 VERY RELIGIOUS

22. What is the highest level of education you would like to achieve ?
1 Less than high school
2 Finish high school
3 Finish some college
4 Finish college
5 Finish a graduate degree
From: Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), 1991-2006
If it were up to you , how far would you like to go in school?
1 < High school
2 High school grad
3 JR college degree
4 4 year college degree
5 Master degree
6 PHD professional degree
From: Youth Development Study, 1988-1995 [St. Paul, Minnesota]
How far do you THINK you will go in school? Do you think you will:
1 Drop out before graduation from high school
2 Graduate from high school
3 Business/technical school/junior college
4 Graduate from a four year college
5 Go to a graduate or professional school
From: Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS): Wave 1, 2001

23. Where do data come from?

24. Credit:ValerieRenee
On flickr: Valerie Renee

34. How do social scientists use data?

35. Credit:NadiaChaudhuryOn flickr: mysticchildz

36. How much if anything, have you heard about the controversy over a
sexually suggestive photo sent to the Twitter account of New York
Congressman Anthony Weiner?
A lot
A little
Nothing at all
Source: Pew Weekly News Interest Index Poll
Field Dates: Jun 2, 2011 - Jun 5, 2011

37. How much if anything, have you heard about the controversy over a
sexually suggestive photo sent to the Twitter account of New York
Congressman Anthony Weiner?
A lot 23%
A little 33%
Nothing at all 43%
Source: Pew Weekly News Interest Index Poll
Field Dates: Jun 2, 2011 - Jun 5, 2011

38. Credit: anonymous
Onflickr:LordDane

39. Using a grading scale of A, B, C, D, and F, where A is excellent and F is
very poor and using any of the grades in between, how would you grade
the condition of the US (United States) military?
A
B
C
D
F
Source: CBS News Poll
Field Dates: Dec 17, 2009 - Dec 22, 2009

40. Using a grading scale of A, B, C, D, and F, where A is excellent and F is
very poor and using any of the grades in between, how would you grade
the condition of the US (United States) military?
A 28%
B 39%
C 22%
D 5%
F 2%
Source: CBS News Poll
Field Dates: Dec 17, 2009 - Dec 22, 2009

43. Credit:RubenDiasAlonsoOn flickr: Ruben Diaz

44. How closely did you follow the story about the study by the Institutes of
Medicine on the possible link between autism and childhood vaccines?
Very closely
Fairly closely
Not too closely
Not at all closely
Source: Health Poll Report
Field Dates: Jun 4, 2004 - Jun 8, 2004

45. How closely did you follow the story about the study by the Institutes of
Medicine on the possible link between autism and childhood vaccines?
Very closely 11%
Fairly closely 18%
Not too closely 25%
Not at all closely 44%
Source: Health Poll Report
Field Dates: Jun 4, 2004 - Jun 8, 2004

48. ICPSR
ROPER
CPANDA
ARDA

49. HELPING STUDENTS
WHO NEED HELP WITH DATA
Rachael Barlow
Trinity College
June 17, 2011
Credit:DietmutTeijgeman-Hansen
On flickr: tdietmut