Resource Library

A quote to aid in discussing the meaning of research and how it should be tied to a goal. The quote is by Austrian writer Baroness Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830 – 1916) from her 1880 novel "Aphorisms."

A quote to help in discussing the importance of data in investigating nearly every problem (try asking your class what problems are not amenable to data?). The quote is by American feminist and Professor of Sociology Pauline B. Bart (1930 - ) and may be found in Cheris Kramarae and Paula A. Treichler, A Feminist Dictionary (1985). The quote may also be found at www.quotationsbywomen.com

A quote to aid in discussing the difference between individual anecdotes and systematically gathered data. The quote is by journalist Brooks Jackson (1941 - ) and Professor of Communication Kathleen Hall Jamieson (1946 - ) from University of Pennsylvania (founders of the Annenberg Foundation’s Factcheck.org) in their book UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation (2007).

A quote to be used in a discussion of the importance of gathering data to help in guiding decisions and actions. The quote is by American science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin (1929 -). The quote appears at the end of chapter 3 of her 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness.

The Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource is a collection of data sets. It includes definitions of each variable in the data set. It requires a login to retrieve the data sets. Registering involves giving your name and address and the name of the study and a detailed description of the intended use of the data.

A joke about the need for a comparison group. The joke was written in 2011 by Dennis Pearl from The Ohio State University and told in his after dinner talk at the 2011 USCOTS banquet.

A quote that might help in a discussion of the value of observational over experimental when the Hawthorne effect is important. The quote is by American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978). The quote is found in her book Blackberry Winter (1972).

A quote that might be used in discussing the research cycle, the scientific method, and the nature of experiments versus observational studies as well as the difference in purpose between quantitative and qualitative studies. The quote is by American author Zora Neale Hurston (1891 – 1960) and appeared in her book Dust Tracks on a Road (1942) chapter 10 p. 143. The quote may also be found at www.quotationsbywomen.com

A quote to motivate discussions of government economic measures and the validity of measurements. The quote is by American economist and statistician Mollie Orshansky (1915-2006), the developer of the poverty level used by the U.S. government. The quote is from her article "Counting the Poor: Another Look at the Poverty Profile," in the January 1965 Social Security Administration Bulletin.

A quote to initiate a discussion about critiquing statistical issues in public policy statements seen in the media. The quote is from American writer and public policy researcher Kathleen Geier (1963 - ) and may be found in her article "On the importance of statistical literacy," in Washington Monthly May 12, 2012.