Tools for verifying and assessing the validity of social media and user-generated content
2015 Overview of tools that can help journalists assess the reliability of materials generated by users and diffused through social media
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Bitcoin and virtual currencies: Background information and key technical and legal issues
2015 report from the Congressional Research Service detailing key issues relating to virtual currencies, related trends and unanswered questions.
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Right-to-carry laws: Revisiting the link between guns and violent crime
2014 study for the National Bureau of Economic Research examining and correcting the findings of a much-cited 1997 working paper and 2004 National Research Council report.
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Dataset digest, April 2015: Federal datasets that can inform local coverage
Federal databases that can provide insight into reporting on local affairs, including hospital outcomes, public schools’ disciplinary practices, local farms and firearms dealers.
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Formal and informal financial services in Africa: World Bank research
2015 study from World Bank researchers on the prevalence of formal financial services in the lives of Africans and the characteristics of persons who use banking services of various kinds.
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Corporate speech and the First Amendment: History, data and implications
2015 working paper from Harvard University Law School on the expanded corporate use of the First Amendment over time, based on a statistical analysis of 423 cases.
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Urban charter schools and student gains: 2015 findings from Stanford University
2015 study from Stanford researchers suggesting overall gains for urban charter schools, relative to traditional schools; growth was particularly strong for disadvantaged students.
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Eight questions to ask when interpreting academic studies: A primer for media
Scholarly research is a great source for rigorous, unbiased information, but making judgments about its quality can be difficult. Here are some important questions to ask when reading studies.
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Unequal voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections: Research brief
2015 research brief on voter participation in presidential elections from 1972 to 2008, by Jan Leighley of American University and Jonathan Nagler of New York University, and the Scholars Strategy Network.
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Harmful chemicals and neurotoxins: Silently eroding intelligence, damaging societies
2014 research from the University of Southern Denmark and the Harvard School of Public Health on recent empirical studies on the potential impact of development neurotoxins.
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