Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

 

DataCritica aims to be a widely accessible bilingual (Spanish-English) peer-reviewed digital journal for the exchange of original research, ideas, and news about statistics.  The title of the journal, DataCritica highlights the dual nature of a journal that aims at linking the science of collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and representing data, statistics, with the tradition of critical theory. DataCritica promotes the conscious development of critical statistics, an approach to statistics that contests positivist attitudes that produce models of ahistorical and atheoretical quantitative sciences with pretensions of purely objective, universal, and non-normative knowledge. DataCritica promotes a critical perspective on specific statistical facts, concepts, and methods, and examines the implicit worldview of professional statisticians. The nature of the journal rejects the traditional disciplinary division of knowledge, under which statistics is conceived as a field of mathematics. The journal, therefore, approaches statistical issues from a multiplicity of perspectives, which includes historical, sociological, cultural, rhetorical, philosophical approaches to statistics.  DataCritica conceives statistics as an essential tool to promote democracy and social justice; hence, it promotes the statistical literacy necessary for citizens’ participation in democratic societies.  DataCritica will serve as a forum where a diversity of forms of radical criticism can coalesce, aiming to build a community of critics of statistics and fostering the principled use of statistics for social and scientific criticism.

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE JOURNAL

 

  1. To acknowledge ways in which the practice of statistics shapes perceptions and representations of individuals, societies, and the universe.
  2. To recognize statistics as organizational products, social constructs, and rhetorical devices, considering the specific interests of social groups, state bureaucracies, and international organizations. 
  3. To describe way in which strategic uses of statistics affect political change, build communities, and develop identities.  
  4. To analyze how statistics express and mask ideologies of social inequality, relating to areas such as social class, gender, race, sexual orientation, and colonialism.
  5. To examine historical processes related to statistics, exploring, among other things, the construction of the epistemic authenticity of the discipline of statistics.  
  6. To examine how social activism impacts and modifies statistical practices such as the conduct of censuses, surveys, and other mechanisms of routine data production. 
  7. To promote the use of statistical products and methods in public policy and social activism.
  8. To promote national statistics policies that guarantee transparent and democratic access to statistical products and methods.
  9. To promote an international dissemination of innovative statistical related insights, techniques, activities and experiences.
  10. To promotes the statistical literacy necessary for citizens’ participation in democratic societies, which includes ideas on teaching statistics at all levels of education.   

 

 

 

Section Policies

Articles

Articles related to the objectives of the journal

Editors
  • Luis Aviles, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Sociology Program
Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Classic Writings

A reproduction of a piece of writing accompanied by an explanation of the importance of this piece for the field of critical statistics.

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Entrevistas Digitales

A 30 minute video of an actual digital interview conducted for this journal.

Editors
  • Luis Aviles, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Sociology Program
Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Best and worst graphs

Analysis of an actual graph, taken from the media or international reports, to illustrate the basic do’ s and don’t s of graphic making (with full color schemes.)

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Statistics for Activits

Explanation of statistical methods particularly suitable for activism and other forms of democratic participation in society.

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Debate on National Institute of Statistics

A article presenting a country specific National Institute of Statistics followed by an article that contests the concepts, methods, or practices of the National Institute.

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Statistical Fallacies

A down to earth explanation of misconceptions of statistics, such as “a larger sample is a better sample.”

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Statistics on the News

A short description of a national or international event that have attracted the attention of the media.

Editors
  • Luis Aviles, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Sociology Program
Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Book Review

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Introduction

Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Literature and Statistics

Editors
  • Cynthia Ronzio, Children's National Medical Center
Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Supplement

Supplements include special articles and data selected by the editorial team.  

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.