Where data comes from

Thinking about data, how it’s collected, how to get it.

POP QUIZ!

• Fill out this form, answer these questions

Story

Readings from homework

• Inside the Federal Bureau of Way Too Many Guns
• Forget me nots
• Where people run
• Running while female

Discussion points

• Opioid-related treatment admissions
• Kaggle datasets
• Where did it come from?
• How was it collected?
• What do you think the original data was like before it was structured in this way?
• What’s missing?
• How could it be better?

Presentations

• Thinking creatively when it comes to tracking down data
• How much music is in a musical?
• Dear-Data
• Video

Lab

Walkthroughs

• Introduction to R
• First data analysis steps using R
• Data for lab - [Github]
• btw, why R?
• DataCamp Introduction to R

Homework

Read

Read up on MuckRock and think of some good questions to ask its executive editor JPat Brown next week because he’ll be joining us in class via Google Hangout

Lab

Part 1

• Finish the course Introduction to R
• DUE before class Feb. 15

Part 2

Create a data memo in a beat you’re interested in

Regarding the data you’re envisioning, answer

• Why this data source is interesting and what you’re curious about
• Where this data exists, or where you expect to find it
• Anticipated problems in collecting or analyzing it

This is just brainstorming and you don’t have to commit to what you come up with for the homework for your midterm or final project.

This will hopefully set you on the path toward thinking of data as soon as possible.

Length: Between 1/2 and a 1 page long

DUE before class Feb. 15

I will give feedback and help you refine researching possibilities.