Let's say you asked for data during the early stages of reporting, but the agency in question told you, "Tough luck." Contributor William Heisel offers tips on how to fill an empty spreadsheet with pluck and will.
A deep dive into the data on federal pay-for-performance programs for hospitals turned up a few key lessons along the way for Healthline's Jenna Flannigan, including the importance of understanding what health metrics are actually measuring.
Earlier in my career, I thought I needed “big data” to take my reporting to the next level. But I didn't understand at the time that truly big data was beyond my grasp. Most reporters don't need to manipulate such huge datasets to carry out smart, data-driven journalism.
