Data-Driven Story Project Memo
Data-Driven Story Project Memo
Instructions
Data-driven story
Analyze a database or related databases and write (1) a story and (2) a report about it. Paper
must have a minimum of five pages, single space, font size 12.
Inform your instructor first of the database/s you will use on or before 10 p.m. of March 13/15
to allow ample time for your analysis. Instructor must approve the database/s.
STORY
The news report or summary must include key information or findings that you discovered when
you analyzed the database/s. Provide context in your analysis as well. Interview people who can
talk about the dataset, i.e., experts, government officials, or case studies.
REPORT
List down any problem or limit you found in the database/s using data-integrity checks. Explain
how these problems could affect your analysis. Discuss anything you do not understand about
your data.
If you did anything to clean your data, describe what you did in this section.
Enumerate these actions/queries and write a brief description of each that tells: (1) the question
you were trying to answer and (2) what you discovered.
For example:
Sort projects by contract amount
I wanted to know the most expensive project that the Quezon City Government implemented for
the year 2016. I also wanted to get an idea which projects were prioritized that year. I found that
P30 million was poured into the repair and re-gravelling of Road 1 in Project 6. The same road
section was also repaired in 2015 and 2014.
Cite and summarize the law/s that govern the collection and use of the data (where applicable). If
no law applies, provide background information about the agency that collected the data. What
does the agency do? How does the agency use the data?
5. Next steps
c. References
Identify published stories, reports, or researches related to your story. Explain why these
are relevant to your story.
7. A copy of the record layout or any documentation needed to understand the data.
For bonus points, create a data visualization for your project, using Microsoft Excel or any web
tool such as Data Wrapper.
Important dates
The database proposal is due on or before 10 p.m. of March 13/15. Send me a copy of the
database/s by email with the subject head “Your Section Finals Your Surnames”. State the
database/s you will use and how you obtained it. Each group will send only one proposal; copy
all your groupmates in the email.
Each group will also give a 10-minute lighting talk about their project around the same week the
paper is due. Create an 8-slide (plus one title slide) presentation using PowerPoint.
Submit your written report, slideshow, data files, and supporting materials electronically, as
much as possible. Options include email or Google Drive.