Statistical data and evidence-based claims are increasingly central to our everyday lives. Critically examining ‘Big Data’, this book charts the recent explosion in sources of data, including those precipitated by global developments and technological change. It sets out changes and controversies related to data harvesting and construction, dissemination and data analytics by a range of private, governmental and social organisations in multiple settings. Analysing the power of data to shape political debate, the presentation of ideas to us by the media, and issues surrounding data ownership and access, the authors suggest how data can be used to uncover injustices and to advance social progress.

What we choose to count, what we choose not to count, who does the counting, and the categories and values we choose to apply when counting, matter. This volume addresses why and how students and scholars must become more aware of the power and the limitations of statistics.

The authors are proud sponsors of the 2020 SAGE Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award—enabling graduate students and early career faculty to attend the annual ASA pre-conference teaching and learning workshop. Essentials of Social Statistics for a Diverse Society, Third Edition, is a more streamlined, less expensive version of the successful Social Statistics for a Diverse Society. As in the parent text, the Essentials version does more than introduce students to the statistical techniques used by social scientists. It is distinct for the use of real data from contemporary social issues, illustrating the interplay between social concerns and methods of inquiry, and for a strong emphasis on race, class, gender, and other statuses to show how statistics can be a tool for understanding the richness of social differences within society. With a wide range of examples and exercises taken from current events and published research, frequent illustrations, and a focus on student learning, this book continues to be an accessible and engaging resource for students. "I think this textbook is incredibly readable. It presents statistics in a manner that is easy to grasp and comprehend but is still rigorous in terms of the content covered." —Amy Lucas, University of Houston–Clear Lake A Complete Teaching & Learning Package SAGE edge FREE online resources for students that make learning easier. See how your students benefit.

"Social Statistics for a Diverse Society provides students with a revealing introduction to social science statistics. This Fourth Edition maintains the same informal, conversational writing style, along with the many pedagogical features that made previous editions so successful. It is an excellent textbook for students taking their first course in social statistics and can also be used in a number of sociological research methods courses."--BOOK JACKET.

Order the SPSS Student Version (ISBN: 978-1-4129-6883-6) of this text and your students will be able to practice SPSS (version 16.0)áon their laptops in the convenience of their dorm rooms (rather than in the computer labs) for just $25 more than the text alone.In this Fifth Edition of their best-selling Social Statistics for a Diverse Society, Chava Frankfort-Nachmias and Anna Leon-Guerrero use straightforward, conversational prose and emphasize common sense as they demonstrate the link between the practice of statistics and important social issues. Social Statistics for a Diverse Society helps students learn key sociological concepts through real research examples related to the dynamic relationship between race, class, gender, and other social variables. An emphasis on SPSS® for Windows (version 16.0) throughout the book, in conjunction with General Social Survey data, introduces one of the most commonly used analytical software packages in the field. Each chapter ends with a demonstration of a related SPSS procedure, along with a set of useful exercises to help students practice what they learn. New and Retained FeaturesNew and updated real-world examples, drawn from a wide range of sources, including news stories, government reports, scholarly research, the National Opinion Research Center General Social Survey and the Monitoring the Future Survey, help students combine an understanding of statistics with an increased understanding of social issues Significant student-friendly reorganization of the text provides descriptive and inferential statistics in discrete units first, followed by coverage of data analysis Updated statistical applications in examples now include social issues beyond race and gender, such as class and mobility Reading the Research Literature sections in most chapters help students read and interpret statistical information in professional and scholarly publications Fully revitalized learning aids, including new end-of-chapter exercises, Learning Checks, and Statistics in Practice and A Closer Look boxes A new data set available on the Study Site applies to criminology and social work research issues Ancillaries Instructor Resources on CD-Rom feature a new test bank with a wide variety of test questions, PowerPoint slides for each chapter, illustrations from the book, and teaching tips. Contact Customer Care at 1-800-818-SAGE (7243). A Student study site at www.pineforge.com/frankfort-nachmiasstudy5 contains interactive quizzes, e-flashcards, data sets, online research activities, SAGE journal articles and more. Social Statistics for a Diverse Society, Fifth Edition is appropriate for use in Introduction to Statistics, Social Statistics, Research Methods and Data Analysis courses in all of the social sciences. á

Today we are witnessing an increased use of data visualization in society. Across domains such as work, education and the news, various forms of graphs, charts and maps are used to explain, convince and tell stories. In an era in which more and more data are produced and circulated digitally, and digital tools make visualization production increasingly accessible, it is important to study the conditions under which such visual texts are generated, disseminated and thought to be of societal benefit. This book is a contribution to the multi-disciplined and multi-faceted conversation concerning the forms, uses and roles of data visualization in society. Do data visualizations do 'good' or 'bad'? Do they promote understanding and engagement, or do they do ideological work, privileging certain views of the world over others? The contributions in the book engage with these core questions from a range of disciplinary perspectives.

Introduction to Social Statistics is a basic statistics text with a focus on the use of models for thinking through statistical problems, an accessible and consistent structure with ongoing examples across chapters, and an emphasis on the tools most commonly used in contemporary research. Lively introductory textbook that uses three strategies to help students master statistics: use of models throughout; repetition with variation to underpin pedagogy; and emphasis on the tools most commonly used in contemporary research Demonstrates how more than one statistical method can be used to approach a research question Enhanced learning features include a ‘walk-through’ of statistical concepts, applications, features, advanced topics boxes, and a ‘What Have We Learned’ section at the end of each chapter Supported by a website containing instructor materials including chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, answers to exercises, and an instructor guide Visit www.wiley.com/go/dietz for additional student and instructor resources.

Foundations and Applications of Statistics simultaneously emphasizes both the foundational and the computational aspects of modern statistics. Engaging and accessible, this book is useful to undergraduate students with a wide range of backgrounds and career goals. The exposition immediately begins with statistics, presenting concepts and results from probability along the way. Hypothesis testing is introduced very early, and the motivation for several probability distributions comes from p-value computations. Pruim develops the students' practical statistical reasoning through explicit examples and through numerical and graphical summaries of data that allow intuitive inferences before introducing the formal machinery. The topics have been selected to reflect the current practice in statistics, where computation is an indispensible tool. In this vein, the statistical computing environment R is used throughout the text and is integral to the exposition. Attention is paid to developing students' mathematical and computational skills as well as their statistical reasoning. Linear models, such as regression and ANOVA, are treated with explicit reference to the underlying linear algebra, which is motivated geometrically. Foundations and Applications of Statistics discusses both the mathematical theory underlying statistics and practical applications that make it a powerful tool across disciplines. The book contains ample material for a two-semester course in undergraduate probability and statistics. A one-semester course based on the book will cover hypothesis testing and confidence intervals for the most common situations. In the second edition, the R code has been updated throughout to take advantage of new R packages and to illustrate better coding style. New sections have been added covering bootstrap methods, multinomial and multivariate normal distributions, the delta method, numerical methods for Bayesian inference, and nonlinear least squares. Also, the use of matrix algebra has been expanded, but remains optional, providing instructors with more options regarding the amount of linear algebra required.

This book reveals the myriad aspects of Big Data collection and analysis, by defining and clarifying the meaning of Big Data and its unique characteristics in a non-technical and easy-to-follow way. Moreover, it discusses critical issues and problems related to the Big Data revolution and their implications for both Statistics as a discipline and for our everyday lives. The author identifies various problems and limitations in the quantitative analysis of Big Data, with regard to e.g. its volume, velocity and variety, as well as its reliability and veridicity. Dedicated chapters focus on the epistemological aspects of data-based knowledge and ethical aspects of the use of Big Data, while also addressing paradigmatic cases such as Cambridge Analytica and the use of data from social networks to influence election outcomes.