News and Numbers A Writer's Guide to Statistics

by Cohn, Victor; Cope, Lewis; Cohn Runkle, Deborah

• ISBN13: 9781405160964
• ISBN10: 1405160969
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-17
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

The third edition of News & Numbers is a clear and comprehensively updated introduction to the role, logic and language of statistics which focuses on how to evaluate statistical claims in science, health, medicine, and politics. Includes new sections on computer modelling, missing numbers, health care quality and its costs and risks Features a completely new chapter on reporting on risk Contains additional and updated examples throughout Illustrates how an understanding of statistics can help in writing about business, education, environmental policy, sports, opinion polls, crime and other topics Focuses on how to evaluate statistical claims in science, health, medicine, and politics

Author Biography

The late Victor Cohn, the "Dean of Science Writers," was a prize-winning science editor and writer for The Washington Post for 25 years. He was cited as one of the top science writers by The New York Times and Newsweek, co-founded the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, and served as president of the National Association of Science Writers. Lewis Cope was science writer at the StarTribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul for 29 years and, like Cohn, was the recipient of numerous awards. Cope formerly served as president of the National Association of Science Writers. Deborah Cohn Runkle is a Senior Program Associate at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Table of Contents

A Note to Our Readers	p. vii
A Tribute to Victor Cohn, 1919-2000	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Notes on Sources	p. xv
Learning the Basics	p. 1
A Guide to Part I of News & Numbers	p. 2
Where We Can Do Better	p. 3
The Certainty of Uncertainty	p. 8
Testing the Evidence	p. 15
What Makes a Good Study?	p. 37
Your Questions and Peer Review	p. 54
Now Down to Specifics	p. 69
A Guide to Part II of News & Numbers	p. 70
Tests and Drug Trials	p. 71
Vital Statistics	p. 83
Health Costs, Quality, and Insurance	p. 97
Our Environment	p. 108
Writing About Risks	p. 124
Polls	p. 133
Statistical Savvy for Many Types of News	p. 145
Epilogue	p. 161
Glossary	p. 163
Bibliography	p. 170
Index	p. 173
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