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A call for contributions on Covid-19: looking back and looking forward

We are now more than 18 months into the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to the contributions…

Brian TarranSeptember 29, 2021

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Misinterpreting statistical anomalies and risk assessment when analysing Covid-19 deaths by ethnicity

Bigstockphoto/Andreajk3Imagine there is a country called Bayesland that is divided into two distinct geographical areas…

Norman Fenton, Martin Neil, Scott McLachlan and Magda OsmanApril 14, 2021

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Leicester makes history in testing times

Photo by Geoffrey HaywardLeicester made demographic history as the first city in England where the…

Sheila M. BirdJuly 23, 2020

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Removing the pump handle: Stewarding data at times of public health emergency

John Snow memorial in Broadwick Street, London. Photo by Justinc, sourced from WikipediaThere is a…

Reema PatelMay 20, 2020

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To infer or not to infer: the UK’s inadequate public disclosure of Covid-19 swab test results

The World Health Organization asks governments to consider two questions when carrying out risk assessments…

Sheila M. BirdMay 5, 2020

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Now more than ever, African governments need reliable data

Community surveillance in times of Covid-19: A TB Reach health worker in Tanzania visits a…

Sandra Alba, Christina Mergenthaler and Roland KielmanApril 30, 2020

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Visualising the pandemic: interviews with data journalists covering Covid-19

Photo by Brian McGowan on UnsplashIn many parts of the world, the outcome of the…

Andrew GarthwaiteApril 21, 2020

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You can trust the polls in 2018, if you read them carefully

On the morning of 8 November 2016, many Americans went to bed confident that Hillary…

Josh Pasek and Michael TraugottSeptember 27, 2018

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Facebook data harvesting: what you need to know

Facebook makes most of its money from advertising, and – as the Cambridge Analytica scandal…

Gráinne Maedhbh Nic LochlainnApril 5, 2018

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Graphical interpretations of data: An introduction

This is the first of a series of articles on the design of simple graphs…

Allan ReeseAugust 22, 2017

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What is the most popular birthday in England and Wales?

The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently published an analysis of live births from…

Mario Cortina Borja and Peter MartinMarch 3, 2017

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Closing the communications gap

Professor Dame Anne Glover has spent her entire career generating scientific knowledge; knowledge that has,…

Brian TarranSeptember 9, 2016

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Making maps

In an extract from her book, Big Data: Does Size Matter?, Timandra Harkness meets data-based…

Timandra HarknessAugust 16, 2016

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Yes, the polls were wrong. But it is time we understood their limitations

“General election polls in 2015 ‘the most inaccurate’,” said the BBC. “Polling shake-up planned after…

Brian TarranApril 5, 2016

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Voodoo polls are bad news: here’s how to spot and stop them

"Over a third of students ‘no longer wish to study medicine’ amid the junior doctors’…

Robert FordJanuary 20, 2016

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Are we accepting austerity?

When the government says times are tough and cuts have to be made, we expect…

Naomi JonesJuly 20, 2015

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DWTS voting system needs a makeover

On October 14, Christina Milian stood under the spotlight with the threat of elimination during…

Stephanie KovalchikNovember 14, 2013

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Migration statistics: ‘Unfit for purpose’?

Official UK migration figures have been denounced. They are "little better than a best guess",…

Julian ChampkinJuly 29, 2013

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Does RIOT foretell the end of privacy?

As Valentine's Day nears, those of us who still have an empty dance card for…

Stephanie KovalchikFebruary 13, 2013

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Rape more common than smoking in the US

The United States is experiencing an epidemic of sexual violence. New findings from the National…

Stephanie KovalchikJanuary 6, 2012