Statistics Boot Camps
Return to your newsroom ready to craft statistics into stories that count! This workshop is aimed at strengthening the skills of reporters who are familiar with basic computer-assisted reporting and want to add statistical analysis to their toolkits. Taught by Jennifer LaFleur, director of computer-assisted reporting for ProPublica, and David Donald, data editor for The Center for Public Integrity.
NICAR is a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism.
Register for a statistics boot camp:
Nov. 12-14, 2010: Registration form (pdf)
Sliding fee scale:
Listed prices are for current IRE members. Nonmembers add
$60; nonmember students add $25.
Newspapers:
Sunday circulation under 50,000
Sunday circulation under 50,000
$350
Sunday circulation under 100,000
$550
Sunday circulation 100,000 and over
$750
Television:
50-200 market
50-200 market
$350
25-50 market
$550
Top 25 market
$750
Radio:
$550
Magazine and Newsletters:
$350
Online Media:
15 or more full-time employees (FTE)
$550
15 or less full-time employees (FTE)
$350
Universities:
$350
Freelance:
$275
Students:
$275
Sample schedule
Day 1
9 a.m.
Recent stories using advanced techniques
10 a.m.
From database managers to more powerful software: Simple tasks in SPSS that will save time everyday
11 a.m.
The basics of data analysis: Units of analysis and the data ladder
Noon
Lunch
1 p.m.
Recoding: From values to categories and back
2 p.m.
Working with many categorical variables: Frequencies, crosstabs, layered crosstabs and significance testing on rates
4 p.m.
Overview of sampling
Day 2
9 a.m.
From categorical to continuous variables: Ranges, descriptives and pictures
10 a.m.
Mixing categorical and continuous — ANOVAs
11 a.m.
Working with many continuous variables: Correlations, scatter plots
Noon
Lunch
1 p.m.
The basics of linear regressions
2 p.m.
Diagnosing your regressions: You're not done yet
4 p.m.
Great graphics and what they have in common
Day 3
9 a.m.
Going further with predictive models — The basics of dummy variables and logistic regressions
10:30 a.m.
More data analysis tools for Census and other data: Gini, diversity and segregation measures
Noon
Lunch
1 p.m.
Combining many measures into indexes, from school quality to quality of life
2 p.m.
(Optional) Question-and-answer session
3-4 p.m.
(Optional) Open lab
College Park, Md. Information
- Recommended hotels:
- Marriott Inn and Conference Center (About two blocks from Knight Hall and easily walkable.)
- Quality Inn and Suites(On the edge of campus but a healthy 15-minute walk from Knight Hall.)
- Clarion Inn (Convenient to 95/495, short drive)
- Comfort Inn & Suites College Park (Convenient to 95/495, short drive )
- Parking Information:
There are metered spaces on the street immediately north of Knight Hall (2$/hr, accepts credit cards). There's a metered parking garage, Union Lane Garage, one block from Knight Hall ($3/hr, accepts credit cards). - Boot camp alumni
(just a 5-minute drive from campus)
