Why Briefed by Data?
Data appears to be everywhere, but it is frequently misused—though perhaps not always on purpose. We all want quick answers to difficult issues, and the use of statistics to achieve this is frequently superficial, unreliable, and deceptive. Despite the plethora of information available on the internet, it is frequently challenging to locate and cite pertinent data.
Briefed by Data aspires to be interesting, thought-provoking, and non-partisan while providing up-to-date statistics related to current events and context for data and models. A data dictionary or encyclopedia, in a sense.
Briefed by Data is a publication and forum for people who are interested in engaging with data and the concepts it relates to. Comments and ideas for posts are welcomed and encouraged.
Who is Thomas J. Pfaff?
Okay, so I go by Tom, but on formal documents, I use my entire name. I’m a tenured mathematics professor at Ithaca College. My resume may be found at https://sustainabilitymath.org/resume/. I've been running sustainabilitymath.org for a while and have been publishing frequently for over 5 years. I'm going to see where the new project Briefed by Data leads me. I'm available for freelance work and am open to collaborations.
What to Expect from Briefed by Data
You can expect anything from one to three posts to be published every week, with the primary focus being placed on statistics, graphs, and models within the context of current events. In this context, the goal is to try to understand the facts underlying the situation, and from that point on, individuals with varying values may arrive at distinct policy objectives. My objective is to be as non-partisan as possible, and if I am successful in this endeavor, people on all sides will be annoyed by some of the content I share from time to time.
A graph or graphs will often serve as the focal point of a post, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a good graph must be worth even more. The posts are going to be relatively short most of the time, and a sizeable portion of the total "words" will ”
What about Subscriptions?
My long-term goal is to keep the site open, as I would like the data to be available to everyone. Paid subscriptions therefore help support keeping this site open and represent a vote of confidence in the future of Briefed by Data. We’ll see how it goes.
