HSOC-267: Truth, Lies and Data

Data is all around us: COVID data, police shooting data, political polling data, app usage data, data on happiness and personality styles and future consumer trends. Where does data come from? Why do different research studies so often seem to tell different stories? How do we know when a particular study is biased-or when there are systemic cultural biases across a whole line of research? And how can we go about conducting quantitative research on our own to dig up the truth? For those working in art and design, quantitative data can be a secret weapon. It can inspire new creative thinking; it can be used as content for creative work; and it can help to accurately profile a target or validate an idea. Half understanding when data lies, and half learning about how to unearth data truths, this course will explore everything from finding big data to conducting experiments to writing effective surveys. A large portion of the class will also be dedicated to conducting a custom research project.