Faculty of Information Assistant Professor Rohan Alexander’s new book, Telling Stories with Data, is winning rave reviews from some of the biggest names in the field. Published last week, the book is being praised for its unique approach, which takes into account the entire data science workflow as opposed to focusing on statistical methods alone.
“This is an extraordinary, wonderful, book, full of wise advice for anyone starting in data science,” wrote Sir David Spiegelhalter, Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge and author the of bestseller, The Art of Statistics, in his review. “Intermixing concepts and code means the ideas are immediately made concrete, and the emphasis on reproducible workflows brings a welcome dose of rigor to a rapidly developing field.”
Alexander, who is cross appointed to the Department of Statistical Sciences, describes his book as “a reimagining of what data science could be … The book is built around the central thesis that a trustworthiness revolution is needed in data science, and the book proposes a view of what it could look like. This revolution builds on the long history of statistics, borrows heavily from computer science, and draws on other disciplines as needed, but is centred around reproducibility, workflows, and respect.”
Alexander will be using Telling Stories with Data with his Bachelor of Information students. It is also available for free on his website. Read more about Professor Alexander’s approach to data science in the Faculty of Information Research Report (pages 8 and 9).
Featured News
Curiosity pays off for BI student
“I’m quite good at finding different information,” laughs Du, who, as a result, has a packed agenda for the fall. A top item on that agenda is the Centre for Ethics’ Algorithm Bias Project, where Du has been accepted into a program combining practical experience with a year-long seminar examining algorithmic bias in Canada. She […]
Parchment gets a dental check-up
Faculty of Information PhD student Christina Nguyen is working with researchers from U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry to apply approaches used to study dental tissues to the preservation of historical parchment. Her team, headed up by Dentistry Professor Laurent Bozec, who also holds a cross appointment at the Faculty of Information, reviewed more than […]
Curating futures exhibition spotlights students’ summer internships
This summer, 28 Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) students completed more than 7,800 hours of work-integrated learning through internships with 23 museums, galleries, archives, cultural organizations and public institutions across Canada. Their placements gave students hands-on experience in areas ranging from collections and archives to exhibitions, visitor experience and public programming. Students gained experience at […]
‘Not on the Exam’ with Iz Leitch, Student Services Assistant
If you’ve been to the Office of the Registrar and Student Services, chances are you’ve met Iz Leitch and Min Kang, the team behind the front desk. For this back-to-school edition of our regular “Not on the Exam” feature, we’re talking with Iz, whose official title is Student Services Assistant. How did you come to […]