Thinking Quantitatively

"The purpose of this Quantitative Reasoning (QR) course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the quantitative skills required to cope with the practical demands of daily life, as well as preparing students for a deeper understanding of information presented in mathematical terms. Critical thinking and problem solving are an emphasis. The application of quantitative skills to decision making, requiring reasoning from evidence, enhances your students' personal, civic, and business lives. These reasoning capabilities are based upon the ability to communicate with numbers effectively, so developing quantitative literacy is a key focus"--

This Handbook of Quantitative Thinking provides an interconnected and unusually thorough look at the world around us. From small things such as soap bubbles to big things such as ships and buildings, quantitative questions are posed and answered in comprehensive case studies. When necessary, rough estimates are provided. How much soap is in a soap bubble? What is the volume and the weight of the water film enclosing a soap bubble? What is the thickness of a line drawn with a pencil? How many carbon dioxide molecules does a burning candle produce per photon of visible light emitted? How many sugar cubes can keep you alive for 90 days? How much oxygen does a field tree produce per year? How many shiploads of liquefied natural gas (LNG) would Germany need per year, if all central heating units ran on gas imported from overseas? By how much is a church tower shorter owing to the compression of the bricks and the mortar under the weight of the structure? How much energy is needed globally for making bread and cooking rice? How does that figure relate to Germany's total energy demand. Since they are deeply interested in the physical world around them, children, physicists and engineers will surely like the questions raised in this book and the answers given. Future consultants may have to answer questions like the following ones in job interviews: What is a needle in a haystack in ppm or ppb? How many trees per year do you need to supply a country with toothpicks? The book also contains an index of quantitative data occurring in the case studies and in other sources, sorted by type and magnitude. The bibliography alerts the readers to a multitude of books covering related subject matter.

Employs basic mathematical skills to teach students how to address topical, real-world problems using quantitative reasoning.

An engaging introduction to data science that emphasizes critical thinking over statistical techniques An introduction to data science or statistics shouldn’t involve proving complex theorems or memorizing obscure terms and formulas, but that is exactly what most introductory quantitative textbooks emphasize. In contrast, Thinking Clearly with Data focuses, first and foremost, on critical thinking and conceptual understanding in order to teach students how to be better consumers and analysts of the kinds of quantitative information and arguments that they will encounter throughout their lives. Among much else, the book teaches how to assess whether an observed relationship in data reflects a genuine relationship in the world and, if so, whether it is causal; how to make the most informative comparisons for answering questions; what questions to ask others who are making arguments using quantitative evidence; which statistics are particularly informative or misleading; how quantitative evidence should and shouldn’t influence decision-making; and how to make better decisions by using moral values as well as data. Filled with real-world examples, the book shows how its thinking tools apply to problems in a wide variety of subjects, including elections, civil conflict, crime, terrorism, financial crises, health care, sports, music, and space travel. Above all else, Thinking Clearly with Data demonstrates why, despite the many benefits of our data-driven age, data can never be a substitute for thinking. An ideal textbook for introductory quantitative methods courses in data science, statistics, political science, economics, psychology, sociology, public policy, and other fields Introduces the basic toolkit of data analysis—including sampling, hypothesis testing, Bayesian inference, regression, experiments, instrumental variables, differences in differences, and regression discontinuity Uses real-world examples and data from a wide variety of subjects Includes practice questions and data exercises

Numerical data are everywhere. Charts and statistics appear not just in geography journals but also in the media, in public policy, and in business and commerce too. To engage with quantitative geography, we must engage with the quantitative methods used to collect, analyse, present and interpret these data. Quantitative Geography: The Basics is the perfect introduction for undergraduates beginning any quantitative methods course. Written in short, user-friendly chapters with full-colour diagrams, the book guides the reader through a wide range of topics from the basic to the more advanced, including: Statistics Maths Graphics Models Mapping and GIS R Closely aligned with the Q-Step quantitative social science programme, Quantitative Geography: The Basics is the ideal starting point for understanding and exploring this fundamental area of Geography.

Quantitative Research for the Qualitative Researcher is a concise, supplemental text that provides qualitatively oriented students and researchers with the requisite skills for conducting quantitative research. Throughout the book, authors Laura M. O’Dwyer and James A. Bernauer provide ample support and guidance to prepare readers both cognitively and attitudinally to conduct high quality research in the quantitative tradition. Highlighting the complementary nature of quantitative and qualitative research, they effectively explain the fundamental structure and purposes of design, measurement, and statistics within the framework of a research report, (including a dissertation). The text encourages the reader to see quantitative methodology for what it is, a process for systematically discovering new knowledge that can help describe, explain, and predict the world around us.

Presents a wide sampling of efforts being made on campuses across the country to achieve our common goal of having a quantitatively literate citizenry.

This new edition provides a comprehensive overview of current theory and research written by the top theorists and researchers in each area. It has been updated to address the growing influence of technology, changing relationships, and several growing integrated approaches to communication and includes seven new chapters on: ■ Digital Media ■ Media Effects ■ Privacy ■ Dark Side ■ Applied Communication ■ Relational Communication ■ Instructional Communication ■ Communication and the Law The book continues to be essential reading for students and faculty who want a thorough overview of contemporary communication theory and research.