Data Collection and Sampling

In this subsection newspaper articles are provided which illustrate various aspects of sampling. Consider the following questions as you read the articles.

• Is the article about a sample from a population or the population itself?
• What difference is there between the conclusions that can be drawn from samples and populations?
• Is the sample representative or non-representative of the associated population?
• Is the sample voluntary in nature? Why would this be important?
• Does the article explain well the nature of the sample?
• For surveys, who paid for them? Could this be significant for the results reported?

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Active links for newspaper articles below

Click for Newspaper Article

Click for Student Questions

Click for Teacher Discussion

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Aussies' fluoride smile is best

Beer-swilling ocker image going flat

Call for shock tactics to get message through

Counting the missing thousands

Forget apples, now we're the potentates of potato land

Girls as young as 12 have babies: study

Holidays at home appeal

Honours shared in ratings war

Jobless fall tipped as Tassie ages

Life goes on and on for nation's population

New Town's stolen pride

Obesity may slow fall in heart deaths

Royals on the nose in poll

Shock population figures

Smoking big risk for women

State tops baby health report

Study finds emotional upset linked to accidents

Survey shock

Teen skin cancer alarm

Teenagers 'work hard, play hard'

The following articles have questionable data collection and sampling techniques

Beware the pushy fish eater

Blair on the warpath over Lords

Bus stop view of nursing mothers

Capricorns crash through

Computer education lags in schools, survey finds

Decriminalise drug use: poll

Di: 98% say it was a plot

School gay policy sought

THAT'S LIFE - Handguns

What sports statisticians do at home

Women more likely to suffer fatigue

The following articles have no student questions or teacher discussions.

Alarm at young men's views of resorting to force in sex

Amazing poll flip puts ALP in lead

Aussies have less sex - but more stamina

Cleo readers reveal all

Dollars and not dalliance

Forced sex OK, say a third of young men

Healthy living ads hit home

Hobart falls short in the sexy city stakes

Howard support through the roof

Music moves the earth

New radio for oldies wins 14% of market

No sex please, we're only 16

Tassie's teen mums

Truth about liars in the workplace

Where to next?

Numeracy in the News - Overview