July 29th: Thinking Critically about Statistics

Your Proposals, Visuals, and Annotated Bibliographies are now due Wednesday (7/31).

No class tomorrow (7/30).

Backing Up

Let's finish our research discussion and then move on to Ethics. We probably won't get around to Huff's “How to Lie with Statistics” today (on Moodle), so make sure you have that read by Monday if you didn't already.

Analyzing Ethics

We could study ethics related to technical communication for an entire semester much like many of our other topics. Unfortunately, we only have time to scratch the surface. Ethics in technical communication is often overlooked because many mistakenly see "technical communication" as transmitting "truth" from the expert ( engineering, scientist, or technician) end to the reader.  However, like all communication, we must make choices concerning what to include and what not to include...hmm...that can get a bit tricky.

• If you include something, why?

• If you don't include something, why not?

• Do you have a naturally bias-free disposition?

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's look at how ethics form. I hope if you haven't had a class related to your major about ethics, you soon will.  I'd hate to be your only "ethical" perspective in college.  Let's jump on over to our ethical analysis webpage.

Ethical Dilemmas for You

Take a look at these dilemmas for class. To whom are technical communicators responsible in business settings? Are there any non-business technical writing (or communicating) settings?

And what class assignment would be complete without having a homework assignment to follow up? Exactly--none. Here's your Ethical Dilemmas Assignment--due tomorrow 7/31.

Ch. 3 "Writing Ethically"

Let's breeze through Ch. 3 (a very short chapter) and then move on to think critically about statistical (mis)use. Show me you've read and tell us the important aspects of the following:

• Obligations
• Codes of Conduct
• Ethical Communication

Readings for Analysis

Let's see if we can discuss these readings below:

• Huff, Darrel. “How to Lie with Statistics” (pdf) (on Moodle)

• Let's look at an old school activity on stats
• A very interesting Ghost Story

I had a larger case study in mind, but that might have been a bit too ambitious. Instead, let's look at the links below on HIV/AIDS and, as a bonus, we'll check out a statistic from Al Gore's Earth in the Balance (1992)--on Moodle. Several of you are going to explain Global Warming or related science topics for your project, so this will be especially relevant to you. Of course, the overall point will be about our (social, perhaps) commitment to facts, figures, and statistics.

• Height of Inequality

• HIV/AIDS among African Americans

• Don't miss the "Technical Notes" section of the 2005 Surveillance report

Let's look at voting statistics (time permitting).

• Maryland Voter Turnout 1992

• Maryland Voter Turnout 1996

• Maryland Voter Turnout 2000

• Maryland Voter Turnout 2004

• Maryland Voter Turnout 2008

Keep Up with the Syllabus

If we don't get to it today, we'll have a presentation discussion and workshop on Wednesday. Your presentations will be on Monday (8/05) and Tuesday (8/06) of next week.

Also, on Wednesday (7/31), I'm giving you time to work on your portfolios, so use that time wisely. Because of a Transfer SOAR session on Thursday (8/01), we won't be meeting as a class, but you'll turn your portfolios into my mailbox--use a folder and not a binder. I will be on campus, but I won't necessarily be in my office to meet during office hours 3:00-5:00. I'll be in and out of the office for the rest of the day.

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