The supplemental online materials for The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, 2nd Edition include the following types of resources, each of which is discussed in more detail below. You may view a podcast describing these supplemental materials.
Slide Shows
Slide Shows cover a range of topics and skills from throughout The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, 2nd Edition. [more detail]
Podcasts of Slide Shows
Podcasts cover the same topics as the Slide Shows, with the addition of voice-over explanation of the material by the author and animated, step-by-step demonstrations where pertinent. [more detail]
Text Appendixes
Text Appendixes supplement material in the book. [more detail]
Data Sets
These Data Sets can be used to practice the skills as discussed in the suggested course extensions. [more detail]
Study Guide
The Study Guide includes problem sets, solutions to the odd-numbered questions, and suggested course extensions, organized by chapters in the book. [more detail]
These online materials can be used by faculty as teaching materials. For example, professors can use an entire slide set for a lecture or integrate selected slides into their own lecture materials. The problem sets and suggested course extensions in the Study Guide can be used as examples or activities during lecture or lab sessions, as homework or exam questions.
To help faculty see how to use these materials, there are four podcasts offering advice on how to teach writing about numbers on the Suggestions for Instructors page. The first covers the content and materials of the book and online materials. A second discusses courses or other settings in which writing about numbers can be taught. A third describes and illustrates instructional techniques used throughout the book and podcasts that may be helpful in classroom presentation of the material. The fourth explains the “Vanna White” technique for presenting an exhibit such as a table, chart, or other diagram as part of a live speech, whether in the classroom or as part of a research seminar or conference presentation.
The online materials can also be used by individual learners as self-teaching materials. Individuals can watch the podcasts of lectures on their own, work the problem sets and suggested course extensions from the Study Guide, and practice with the spreadsheet templates using the data sets provided or their own data.
The supplemental materials are described in more detail below.
Slide Shows
The Slide Shows cover a range of on topics and skills from The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, 2nd Edition. They include selected speaker’s notes, and many can also be used with the more advanced The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, 2nd Edition.
Each Slide Show concludes with recommended related readings in The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, 2nd Edition, and other texts and articles that can be assigned to students or read by independent learners. When appropriate, the Slide Shows also recommend other slide sets and podcasts on related topics, as well as problem sets and suggested exercises from the Study Guide.
The material in the Slide Shows is cumulative, so it is best to begin with those related to the early chapters of the book before progressing to the more advanced ones. In particular, the Slide Shows related to chapters 1 through 7 define and illustrate many concepts and terms used in later materials and identify common basic mistakes and recommended solutions that carry over to advanced topics and skills.
Podcasts of Slide Shows
The Podcasts of Slide Shows cover the same topics as the Slide Shows, with the addition of voice-over explanation of the material by the author and animated, step-by-step demonstrations where pertinent. They average 20 to 30 minutes in length, though some are longer. They can be viewed by individuals to prepare for or review material covered in a class, or to learn material outside of formal class settings. As with the Slide Shows, the material is cumulative, so it is best to watch the early podcasts before moving on to those specifically related to Numbers.
Text Appendixes
The Text Appendixes include exercises on “getting to know your variables and “planning how to create the variables you need from the variables you have.’ These are longer, multi-step homework assignments for researchers to use with their own data. Explanations for instructors of these assignments can be found in Suggestions for Instructors.
Data Sets
The Data Sets are files of subsample of NHANES III used in the book that can be downloaded for use with the “estimating statistics” exercises in the suggested course extensions in the Study Guide. They are available in SAS, SPSS, and Stata, along with basic documentation and citations regarding the study design and variables.
Study Guide
The Study Guide includes both problem sets and suggested course extensions to practice applying the skills and concepts covered in The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, 2nd Edition. The problem sets are self-contained exercises that include the data and other information needed to perform calculations or practice presenting numeric information in prose, table, or chart form. They can be used in class as examples to demonstrate a particular skill or concept. They can also be assigned as homework or exam questions, with the solutions to the odd-numbered questions available as a basis for a grading rubric.
The suggested course extensions can be adapted for use in existing courses, either as in-class exercises of a half-hour or longer, as homework assignments, or as the basis for guiding students through the entire process of designing and presenting a multivariate statistical analysis. There are four general types of suggested course extensions: The first type is exercises that involve applying the concepts and skills covered in The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, 2nd Edition, to the published literature in your field, often with reference to the checklists at the end of a chapter in the book. The second type is exercises that involve applying ideas to your own data, combining statistical techniques with principles from the book. The third and fourth types involve drafting new prose, tables, charts, or presentation materials, or revising previously written drafts of those materials.
