Resource Library

A cartoon to illustrate the importance of statistical principles and probability models in internet search engines.  The cartoon was drawn in 2013 by British cartoonist John Landers based on an idea by Dennis Pearl from Ohio State University.  This item is part of the cartoons and readings from the “World Without Statistics” series that provided cartoons and readings on important applications of statistics created for celebration of 2013 International Year of Statistics.  The series may be found at https://online.stat.psu.edu/stat100/lesson/1/1.4

A cartoon to illustrate the value of statistics in conducting sample surveys, such as those for predicting election results.  The cartoon was drawn in 2013 by British cartoonist John Landers based on an idea by Dennis Pearl from Ohio State University.  This item is part of the cartoons and readings from the “World Without Statistics” series that provided cartoons and readings on important applications of statistics created for celebration of 2013 International Year of Statistics.  The series may be found at https://online.stat.psu.edu/stat100/lesson/1/1.4

A cartoon to illustrate the value of the decennial census.  The cartoon was drawn in 2013 by British cartoonist John Landers based on an idea by Dennis Pearl from Ohio State University.  This item is part of the cartoons and readings from the “World Without Statistics” series that provided cartoons and readings on important applications of statistics created for celebration of 2013 International Year of Statistics.  The series may be found at https://online.stat.psu.edu/stat100/lesson/1/1.4

The researcher armed with a confidence interval, but deprived of the false respectability of statistical significance, must work harder to convince himself and others of the importance of his findings. This can only be good. is a quote by British statistician Michael W. Oakes. The quote is found in his 1986 book "Statistical Inference: a Commentary for the Social and Behavioural Sciences" published by John Wiley & Sons.

This pie chart was created by Lawrence Lesser of The University of Texas at El Paso to illustrate how a pie chart can display results of a (qualitative) survey question while intriguing students with (mostly, unexpected) connections between probability/statistics and the number π.

A cartoon for use in celebrations of Random Acts of Kindness Day which is an unofficial holiday in many countries typically celebrated in February. Cartoon by John Landers (www.landers.co.uk) based on the suggested illustrating text and concept from Larry Lesser (The University of Texas at El Paso). The cartoon was first displayed on the website http://www.worldofstatistics.org on Random Acts of Kindness day in February 2014. Free to use in the classroom and on course web sites or other non-profit teaching uses.

A joke to use in discussing the meaning of the slope in a linear trend.  The joke was written in May 2019 by Larry Lesser, The University of Texas at El Paso, and Dennis Pearl, Penn State University.

A song discussing how a sample can be superior to a census.  The lyric was written in 2018 by Lawrence Lesser of The University of Texas at El Paso and parodies John Denver's 1974 #1 hit "Annie's Song".  The song was also published in the May 2019 Amstat News.

A joke for discussing the over-use of hypothesis testing methods.  The joke was written in April 2019 by Larry Lesser from The University of Texas at El Paso.

A quote to help in discussing the idea that a plan for the purposeful collection of data should include a plan for how the information will be used. The quote is by American philosopher, educator, and feminist Anna C. Brackett (1836 - 1911) and may be found in The Technique of Rest, Ch. 2 (1892).