Resource Library

The theory of probability is the only mathematical tool available to help map the unknown and the uncontrollable. It is fortunate that this tool, while tricky, is extraordinarily powerful and convenient. is a quote by Polish-French-American mathematician and developer of fractal geometry Benoit B. Mandelbrot (1924 - 2010). The quote appears in his 1982 book "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" W.H. Freeman

No generalizing beyond the data, no theory. And no theory, no insight. And if no insight, why do research? is a quote by Canadian Professor of Management Studies Henry Mintzberg (1939 - ), McGill University. The quote appears in his 2005 paper "Developing Theory about the Development of Theory" that appeared in the edited volume "Great Minds in Management: The process of theory development" (K. Smith and M. Hutt, eds.), Oxford University Press.

A poem to teach about various types of variables (categorical versus numerical versus summary statistics) and differentiating them from other concepts like the outcomes in the sample space or the sample size. The poem was composed by Lawrence Mark Lesser of The University of Texas at El Paso.

I don't like the label big data", because that suggests the key measure is how many bits you have available to use. But who cares how much data you have? With too little data, you won't be able to make any conclusions that you trust. With loads of data you will find relationships that aren't real. ... Big data isn't about bits, it's about talent." This is a quote by ZestFinance.com CEO and former Google VP of Engineering Douglas Merrill (1970 -). The quote appeared in his May 1, 2012 blog at Forbes.com.

A song to teach the idea the difference between the population and sample correlation. The lyrics are by Lawrence M Lesser, University of Texas at El Paso in collaboration with Dennis K Pearl, The Ohio State University. The song may be sung to the tune of the children's folk song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and like that song may be sung in rounds. Dr. Lesser sings the song in an accompanying MP3 audio file.

If the experiments be quite simple the question may be without great importance; but when their requirements as to time or expenditure come into account the problem arises, how the observations should be chosen in order that a limited number of them may give the maximum amount of knowledge. is a quote by Danish Statistician Kirstine Smith (1878 - 1939). The quote appears in the introduction to her 1918 article on optimal experimental design in the journal Biometrika (the first such article in the literature).

If we have data, let's look at data. If all we have are opinions, let's go with mine. is a quote by American entrepreneur James Love Barksdale (1943 - ) former president and CEO of Netscape Communications.

A cartoon for use in teaching about the Normal distribution. The cartoon was drawn by Australian epidemiologist Matthew Freeman of the Public Health Information Development Unit at the University of Adelaide. It is free for use on course websites or in the classroom provided author acknowledgement is given (e.g. leave copyright statement on the image). Commercial uses should contact the copyright holder. The cartoon was also published under the title "A visual comparison of normal and paranormal distributions" in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (2006) 60(1):6

...making an appeal to the eye when proportion and magnitude are concerned, is the best and readiest method of conveying a distinct idea. is a quote by Scottish political economist William Playfair (1759 - 1823) often credited as the originator of statistical graphics. The quote is found in the preface to his 1801 book "The Statistical Breviary: Shewing, on a Principle Entirely New, The Resources of Every State and Kingdom in Europe" (the book where he introduced the piechart)

There is a magic in graphs. The profile of a curve reveals in a flash a whole situation - the life history of an epidemic, a panic, or an era of prosperity. The curve informs the mind, awakens the imagination, convinces. is a quote by Henry David Hubbard (1870-1943) who was the first secretary of the National Bureau of Standards; serving from 1901 to 1938. The quote appears in his introduction to the 1939 book "Graphic Presentation" by William Brinton. The entire one-page essay by Mr. Hubbard is an outstanding description of the value of graphical displays and can be found at http://www.archive.org/stream/graphicpresentat00brinrich#page/2/mode/1up