All articles tagged with #methodology
China has reported an improved youth unemployment rate of 14.9% in December, excluding students from the calculation, after adjusting their methodology for measuring the figure. This comes after the rate hit a record high of 21.3% last summer, and the statistics department had suspended releasing such data.
The Synod on Synodality, currently taking place in Rome, has released its rules of engagement, emphasizing confidentiality and discretion among participants. Unlike previous synods, there will be no final document, but rather a summary report that requires a two-thirds consensus from the full assembly. The innovative methodology includes round table discussions and aims to foster dialogue under the premise of equality before God. Pope Francis has urged journalists to prioritize listening and has expressed concern about public opinion overshadowing the synodal process. Various hot-button topics and agendas are being discussed, with fears of media framing and manipulation. The synod is an ongoing process under Pope Francis, and the challenge lies in deciding whether to openly discuss ideas or maintain absolute confidentiality. Communication plays a crucial role in the synod, and Pope Francis will clarify his vision for the gathering.
Paolo Ruffini, President of the Commission for Information of the Synodal Assembly, held a briefing explaining the methodology of the Synod's working groups, emphasizing the importance of listening and mutual acquaintance. The Synod aims to create a pause for the Church to profoundly listen to one another, fostering a spirit of communion and discernment. Press conferences will be held after each module of the assembly, and the final report will represent a path rather than a point of arrival. The Synod on Synodality is a process that will continue until 2024, with the goal of addressing issues and proposing concrete steps for the Church.
The methodology changes in the U.S. News college rankings have sparked backlash from schools like Vanderbilt University, which dropped several spots. The controversy raises questions about what constitutes a high-quality education and highlights the inconsistency in how colleges react to their rankings.
U.S. News and World Report released their annual "Best Hospital" rankings, naming 22 hospitals to the national "Honor Roll" based on evaluations of 30 medical and surgical services. The rankings faced criticism for their methodology and lack of transparency, leading to recent changes in the rating system. While some hospitals expressed concerns about the oversimplification of rankings, experts argue that they provide valuable data for patients to compare hospitals.
Many happiness studies are flawed due to issues with research methodology and data analysis, leading to limitations in their findings.
U.S. News & World Report released its latest rankings for the country’s top children’s hospitals, with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center taking the top spot. The rankings have come under legal scrutiny, with San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu alleging bias, questionable methodology, and undisclosed financing. The rankings now place more weight on measures of hospital quality like commitment to best practices and equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to identify the best hospitals based on location and specialty has become particularly important in recent years as healthcare systems reduce or eliminate their pediatric services in favor of more lucrative procedures.
Pollsters are concerned about accurately measuring support for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, as his supporters have been difficult to reach and often not included in polls. Pollsters have made adjustments to their methodology, such as using voters' self-reported 2020 presidential vote as a variable, but are not confident they have fixed the problem. The best way to reach less-engaged voters remains traditional phone surveys, but some pollsters have replaced or eschewed this method to save money. Overall, pollsters are cautiously optimistic after largely nailing the 2022 midterms, but are still worried about accurately measuring support for Trump in 2024.
U.S. News & World Report released its revamped list of law school rankings, with Stanford and Yale universities’ law schools tied for the top spot. The rankings are the first to be released incorporating changes that U.S. News implemented in response to criticisms from some colleges that the rankings were not using proper methodology and prioritizing the wrong factors. Harvard and Yale announced in November that they would no longer participate in the rankings because they argued that the rankings disincentivize them from prioritizing need-based financial aid and encouraging students to take careers in public service.
U.S. News & World Report has released its annual rankings of top law and medical schools, which were delayed due to boycotts and disputes over methodology. Yale and Stanford tied for the top spot in law schools, while Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania topped the medical school rankings. The new methodology places greater emphasis on outcomes, such as bar passage rates and job placement. However, many schools continue to criticize the rankings as unreliable and unfair.
U.S. News & World Report released its new law school rankings, which saw significant shifts among elite law schools and many schools further down the list. The changes were primarily due to the publication's overhauled methodology that increased the weight of employment outcomes and bar passage rates and reduced the weight of Law School Admission Test scores and undergraduate grade-point averages. Sixty-two law schools saw their ranks increase or decrease by double digits this year, compared with 27 schools last year.
The U.S. News law school rankings for 2024 have been released, with Stanford and Yale tied for first place. Harvard has dropped to fifth place, while Duke has risen to seventh. The rankings methodology has changed, with employment now accounting for 33% of the score. There are many ties in the rankings, with some schools moving up significantly and others dropping. Kansas is the biggest winner, moving up 27 places to enter the top 50, while Alabama, GW, and William & Mary are the biggest losers.
Researchers at Stanford University have published a paper arguing that evidence of emergent behavior in AI models may be a "mirage" induced by researcher analyses. They contend that when results are reported in non-linear metrics, they appear to show sharp, unpredictable changes that are erroneously interpreted as indicators of emergent behavior. However, an alternate means of measuring the identical data using linear metrics shows "smooth, continuous" changes that reveal predictable, non-emergent behavior. The researchers added that failure to use large enough samples also contributes to faulty conclusions.
U.S. News has released its 2023-2024 MBA ranking, with Stanford Graduate School of Business ranking sixth, Harvard Business School in fifth place for the third consecutive year, and Wharton slipping to third position from first. Dartmouth Tuck jumped five places to sixth, up from 11th a year ago, largely due to U.S. News' decision to increase the emphasis on outcome measures and reduce the weight it places on reputation. The changes in methodology caused plenty of wild swings up and down the ranking, particularly for smaller MBA programs with larger numbers of international students.
Elite law schools and medical schools boycotted the U.S. News & World Report rankings, citing their unreliability and skewed educational priorities. U.S. News conducted a significant revision of its methodology and used public data to fill in the missing information. However, the schools were still upset over some of the data, especially the way U.S. News counted after-graduation employment. U.S. News postponed the official publication of the rankings indefinitely due to complaints from boycotting schools.