Professor: Rebecca Altman

4.00 credits

CRN 12462: Tuesday & Thursday, 12:00-1:50pm @ CHA 201

Do you ever wonder what the numbers reported in the news actually mean, or where they come from? How do you know you can trust the story the numbers are telling... or the story the authors say they’re telling?

In this course, we will take a deep dive into the world of misrepresented data and analyze its presence both in our general society and in scientific reporting. While this is not a statistics or math-heavy course, we will analyze how data can be misrepresented due to errors in the scientific process and in data reporting. By analyzing case studies, engaging in group discussions and projects, and questioning how data can be manipulated and misrepresented, we will identify key factors that evaluate the significance of reported data. We will culminate all our findings to learn how to properly utilize analysis methods in our own critical thinking and reporting– to both general and scientific audiences.