About the Author:
Jane E. Miller is associate professor in the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Trained as a demographer at the University of Pennsylvania, she has taught research methods and statistics for more than a decade. She has also written an advanced volume on the same topic, The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis, to be published in Spring 2005.
Review:
"A most original work--a how-to guide for just about anyone trying to write (or talk) about numeric data. Miller's is a mentor's voice."
(Joel Best)
"Jane Miller, an academic at Rutgers University who trained as a demographer, warns against common charting errors. Hers, much more a textbook, is clearly written, with a checklist at the end of each chapter, invaluable for students. It should be required reading for journalists and politicians.
Data need a context: a figure or two tells you little. The fundamental questions of journalism—who, what, when, and where—have to be answered in charts too. Although Ms. Miller's book is chiefly concerned with writing about numbers, the last chapter gives advice about speaking with numbers. In presentations using visual aids, she says, use no more than one slide a minute." (Economist 2005-01-08)
“Miller presents a holistic and accessible approach to understanding the issues in communicating information by focusing on the entire writing process. Besides providing foundation principles for writing about numbers and exploring tools for displaying figures, the book combines statistical literacy with good writing. Key statistical concepts and practices are discussed in the context of ‘telling a story using numbers as evidence.’ Ideas are demonstrated using real-world examples. The book supplies guidelines for writing an introduction, data collection methodology, data analysis, results interpretation, conclusion, and preparing graphics. The language is unusually clear and precise, and the book's layout supports quick browsing. Highly recommended.” (Choice 2005-04-01)
“This book contains useful information on writing about numbers; I found very few principles or details that I would disagree with. . . . This is primarily a book for writers with little or no background in dealing with numerical data in their prose; it may also be useful for undergraduates in science or engineering.” (David E. Nadziejka Technical Communication)
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