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Know Your Research
Tip sheets and explainers to help journalists understand academic research methods, find and recognize high-quality research, and avoid missteps when reporting on new studies and public opinion polls
Expert Commentary
Using academic research to do investigative journalism: 5 tips from our webinar
For those who couldn’t attend our recent training, here are some of the tips Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Neil Bedi, criminologist Rachel Lovell and I shared.
Expert Commentary
These were the most-read pieces on The Journalist’s Resource in 2022
Here are the year’s 10 most popular posts, which helped journalists as they reported some of the biggest news stories of 2022.
Expert Commentary
Story ideas from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book: Final edition of 2022
The Beige Book offers a high-level glimpse of current economic sentiment across the bank’s 12 districts. We reveal story ideas from the final edition for 2022, including rural health care woes in Mississippi and high-end office perks in Richmond.
Expert Commentary
A tale of two math terms: An infographic story about when to use percent change vs. percentage-point change
Meanville, USA, was an average American town. Until one day, a local journalist had to figure the best way to explain how town administrators planned to spend a sudden windfall …
Expert Commentary
Percent change versus percentage-point change: What’s the difference? 4 tips for avoiding math errors
Many people get ‘percent change’ and ‘percentage-point change’ confused. Use this tip sheet, featuring insights from data journalism pioneer Jennifer LaFleur, to get it right.
Expert Commentary
What’s standard deviation? 4 things journalists need to know
Not sure what ‘standard deviation’ is or why it matters in academic research? We outline four key things journalists need to know about this common measure.
Expert Commentary
Story ideas from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book: July 2022
The Beige Book offers a high-level glimpse of current economic sentiment across the country. We reveal story ideas from the July 2022 release, including well-insured pets in San Francisco and a home equity loan slump in Philadelphia.
Expert Commentary
5 things journalists need to know about statistical significance
Statistical significance is a highly technical, nuanced mathematical concept. Journalists who cover academic research should have a basic understanding of what it represents and the controversy surrounding it.
Expert Commentary
Story ideas from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book: March 2022
The Beige Book offers a high-level glimpse of current economic sentiment across the country. We reveal story ideas from the March release, including zombie home rehabs in New York, an RV boom in New England and planting decision dilemmas in America’s breadbasket.
Expert Commentary