News Analysis

For this project you will analyze the presentation of statistics in an article from a newspaper or magazine. The article should report the results of either an observational study or an experiment. Your analysis should

· Summarize the results of the study/experiment

· Discuss how samples/experimental units were chosen. Was the selection random? Were there any possible sources of bias? If the article does not specify, what are likely possibilities?

· Discuss how the study/experiment was designed. Was there any blocking? If not, should there have been? Were there any sources of bias? If the article does not specify, what are likely possibilities?

· Discuss the reporting of the statistics. Do you have enough information to interpret the statistics? Do you have any measure of the statistical significance of the results?

· Discuss the interpretation of the results. Can you think of any lurking variables? Are there other sources of bias?

Your analysis should be between 2 and 4 pages long, typed, 1.5 or double-spaced. Include the title, author and source of the article at the beginning of your analysis. Attach a copy of the article which you are analyzing. This project must be done individually, not as a group.

Graded out of 30 points