LIBS 127: Oceans of Data

Course Description

This course will pursue two distinct themes. The first is the triumphs of modern statistical methodology in science during the last hundred years. Definitive studies such as the Salk Vaccine Field Trials and those involving the smoking and lung cancer controversy will be examined in depth. The second theme is the awareness and use of public access databases, which are also used by researchers and policymakers. These include the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database of cancer registries, the Statistical Abstract of the United States, and SearchSystems.net Public Records Directory. The course will involve a number of readings and the interpretations of data that will form the basis of classroom discussion and written reports.