Peter Aldhous: NICAR 2015, Atlanta

Critical questions to ask of studies, press releases and scientific reports

Friday March 6, 2.10pm

Location: International 4-5

Confused by p-values and effect sizes? Unsure about what peer review really means? Reluctant to challenge Dr. Famous with potentially insulting questions? We’ll provide tips to separate the scientific wheat from the chaff.

Presentation

Analyzing networks with Gephi

Friday March 6, 3.20pm

Location: M106

You’ll learn how to use Gephi by turning data on voting patterns in the US Senate into an informative graphic revealing the chamber’s underlying dynamics — and highlighting the few senators who broke the partisan mold.

Session notes

Introduction to mapping: Making maps with QGIS

Saturday March 7, 2.10pm

Location: M102

You’ll learn how to use QGIS to make a simple thematic map, with areas colored according to data, plus a map of points scaled according to values in the data, how to set their map projections, and how to export them as a vector graphic.

Session notes