Making methodology decisions

Total suggested time: 45 minutes

Class exercise: Combining data and methodologies

Suggested time: 20 minutes

As a class, open a new Google Sheet and – like before – create two sheets with the following names:

• data
• methodology

In this spreadsheet, you’ll work as a class to combine the data into a summary file to get a look across all states together.

Just like you did in small groups with individual states, start with a structure for the data you want to capture in the data sheet. And consider:

• What does each row of data observe?
• For each row/observation, what fields are you capturing in each column?

Use the methodology sheet to keep notes describing how you’re capturing your data. List each of your fields and include a short description. You can also provide any other details of the decisions you make.

Class discussion: How does it compare?

Suggested time: 25 minutes

• How does your final product compare to the fields used by the COVID Tracking project in its summary data file?
• What details and measurements are lost when adding data across states?
• How trustworthy is the data you aggregated across states?
• How would you communicate or explain the uncertainty in the data to your audience?

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