Journalists don’t do math? In an age of open data, that’s an excuse that no longer flies.  The list below, compiled from the smart people on the NICAR listserv thanks to a request from The Associated Press’ Michelle Minkoff, contains resources to help you get started with the basics of statistics and data analysis.

1. “New Precision Journalism” by Phillip Meyer (Book)

“The New Precision Journalism” shows journalists and students of journalism how to use the new technology to analyze data and provide more precise information in easier-to-understand form. It covers the history of journalism in the scientific tradition, various elements and techniques of data analysis, the use of statistics, computers, surveys, and field experiments, database applications, how to do an election survey, and the politics of precision journalism. This is an important resource for working journalists and an indispensable text for all journalism majors.

2. ”How to Lie with Statistics” by Darrell Huff (Book)

 Darrell Huff runs the gamut of every popularly used type of statistic, probes such things as the sample study, the tabulation method, the interview technique, or the way results are derived from the figures, and points up the countless number of dodges which are used to fool rather than to inform.

In this project-based course, you will have the opportunity to answer a question that you feel passionately about through independent research based on existing data. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in generating testable hypotheses, preparing data for analysis, conducting descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, and presenting research findings.

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There’s no doubt that one of the biggest storytelling forms to emerge within the last few years — especially online — is the infographic. Everywhere you turn, outlets are taking advantage of the highly visual, very sharable medium to give readers easily digestible pieces of data. And, from high tech studies to psychology research, it’s obvious that infographics not only enhance data content for readers but also show no signs of slowing down.

But it’s not as easy to create a high-impact infographic as it looks, even when your research is so interesting it can speak for itself. And, if you’re on a budget or with limited resources, it can cost a pretty penny to get competent work that can cut through the noise and go viral. Read more

Though Google may have contributed to the ailing journalism industry, the search giant will now be offering journalism students 10-week long fellowships. The first of these fellowships will start in the summer of 2013, and are open to both undergrads and graduate students.

The fellowship is aimed at “students interested in using technology to tell stories in new and dynamic ways,” said the announcement. Fellows spend their first week at the Knight Foundation and the last week at Google. The program is especially suited to readers of 10,000 Words, as the intersection of journalism and technology is exactly what the fellowship is about. Below are the qualities that the program is seeking: Read more

For your dose of Friday journo-geek fun, we have Nate Silver and more Nate Silver.

If you’ve been living under a rock, you may have missed that The New York Times’ blogger and statistician Nate Silver accurately predicted the outcome of the election in all 50 states through impeccable data analysis. Despite criticism, much of the social web is now regarding Silver as the nerdy Chuck Norris, and memes are popping up everywhere.

For what appears to be mostly Nate Silver pick-up lines, see Tumblr for images like this:

And for a continual, hilarious flow of tweets to keep you distracted all day, open up a search for the #drunknatesilver and #natesilverfacts hashtags in a new tab (there’s now also a @drunknatesilver account and a @nateDRUNKsilver account.). You will not be disappointed. Here are a few gems:

And don’t listen to that groundhog his data is biased #drunknatesilver

— Drunk Nate Silver (@drunknatesilver) November 9, 2012

When Nate Silver read The Hunger Games he correctly predicted how far the odds were in each tribute’s favor #natesilverfacts

— Alex Lach (@alexglach) November 9, 2012

i may be late to the #drunknatesilver trend, but @drunknatesilver knew i would be, so its all good.

— Tom Channick (@tomchannick) November 9, 2012

Nate Silver wasn’t born, the probability of his existence just increased #natesilverfacts

— weldon kennedy (@weldonwk) November 8, 2012

You will NEVER beat me in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. #DrunkNateSilver

— Drunk Nate Silver (@nateDRUNKsilver) November 9, 2012

Since the election, Nate Silver’s book The Signal and the Noise is now No. 2 on Amazon.

The second round of the Knight News Challenge is underway, and it’s not too late to formulate your innovative ideas into 500 words for a chance to win a share of $5 million in funding. The first round of the challenge, which focused on networks, is already closed. Winners will be announced on June 18. But the second round, which focuses on data, will be open for another two weeks. The challenge used to be a once-a-year happening, but now there are three rounds a year in order to “more closely match the pace of innovation.” Read more