Project A: Analysis of One-Year Temperatures
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the largest privately supported international conservation organization, recently advertised for a data scientist to investigate temperature variations. After receiving applications from ten highly qualified candidates, the organization selected four applicants and asked them to complete the following project. Utilizing temperature data collected by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA, 2021), applicants were asked to create a graphical representation of the temperature trend throughout the year 2020, using maximum, average, and minimum monthly temperatures. As an organization committed to upholding ethical and professional standards, the World Wildlife Fund carefully evaluated the submitted graphs and selected one successful candidate for the data scientist position. The selected applicant was chosen based on their ability to present the data in a transparent manner, closely adhering to ethical principles.
For your group assignment, please conduct a search on a trustworthy website for a dataset containing temperature recordings for the year 2020 in your state. Specifically, gather the datasets for the maximum, average, and minimum temperatures.
As a group, complete these six steps:
- Discuss the ethical principles that should be applied in graphical presentation of temperature variation.
- Determine the appropriate x-axis label and y-axis label and their units.
- Come up with a meaningful graph title.
- Identify the fundamental features that should be available in the graph.
- Write a description explaining the temperature variation, comparing the minimum, average, and maximum temperatures, and how this graph can be useful or not useful in predicting the temperatures on any day of the next year.
- Finally, produce the graph containing all the elements described in Steps 1 to 5.
Project B: Assess the Quality of the Food Services
The school cafeteria plays a crucial role in providing students with sustenance during their academic day.
The objective of this project is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of students’ opinions and suggestions regarding the quality of food services provided in the cafeteria. The gathered information will be used to enhance the food quality at the school, thereby potentially improving the academic performance of students.
Group 1 will be responsible for creating a questionnaire survey on the food services quality in the school cafeteria.
Group 2 will be responsible for analyzing the data and visualizing the outcomes of the food service quality in the school cafeteria.
Group 1: Questionnaire Survey
Group Formation: Each group will consist of two teams, with distinct roles:
- The first team will be responsible for creating a questionnaire survey regarding the food services in the school cafeteria.
- The second team will analyze the survey questions based on ethical principles, specifically considering privacy, data security, and data sharing practices as well as evaluating for bias and fairness.
Questionnaire Survey: The survey will focus on gathering feedback and opinions about the food services in the school cafeteria. It should include questions that cover various aspects such as food quality, variety, pricing, customer service, and overall satisfaction.
Ethical Considerations: The second team will carefully analyze each question in the survey, taking into account ethical principles such as privacy, data security, and data sharing. They will also evaluate for bias and fairness in the questions to ensure inclusivity and objectivity.
Modifications and Informed Consent: As a group, discuss any potential modifications that can be made to improve the survey's effectiveness and ethical practices. Before distributing the survey, a detailed Informed Consent document needs to be prepared, outlining the purpose of the survey, the use of the collected data, and the participants' rights. This document will be required to be read and signed by all participants before they can complete the survey.
Group 2: Data Visualization
Group Formation: Each group will consist of two teams, with distinct roles:
- The first team will be responsible for analyzing and reporting the outcomes from Group 1 by manipulating graphs, tables, bar charts, and pie charts.
- The second team will analyze the visual object from the first team based on ethical principles.
Ethical Considerations: The second team will carefully analyze each visual object in the report, taking into account ethical principles such as presentation accuracy, data source attribution, accessibility, and inclusivity.
Modifications and Conclusion: As a group, discuss any potential modifications that can be made to improve the reported findings based on ethical practices. Before publishing the final report, a clear and unbiased conclusion should summarize all aspects of the findings and review based on ethical principles to achieve the objective of the project.
Project C: Using Data to Predict Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware attacks have become an increasingly worrisome challenge for organizations. A variety of companies and government agencies monitor this trend. Go to a reputable analyst website, such as this Comparitech publication. Their primary objective is to compare the frequency and severity of attacks across four major sectors: business, health care, government, and education. A team of security experts gathers information from a variety of sources, such as news reports, government agencies, and victim reports. The team's analysis reveals a concerning increase in ransomware attacks over the past decade and huge spikes in the business sector in particular, sparking concerns about the effectiveness of current cybersecurity measures in these industries.
Discuss the findings presented in the online Comparitech visual graphs (or from a similar data source, such as DNI government publication).
What can you conclude from these findings? Are ransomware attacks predictable? How should any outliers in the data be handled? What are some reasonable options for policy makers who want to protect organizations from attack? Research one to two specific examples of an organizational target of a ransomware attack to support your case.