1. In a business publication such as The Wall Street Journal or Business Week, find a graph or chart representing cross-sectional data. Discuss how the data were gathered and the purpose of the graph or chart.
2. The Oregonian newspaper has asked readers to email and respond to the question "Do you believe police officers are using too much force in routine traffic stops?"
a. Would the results of this survey be considered a random sample?
b. What type of bias might be associated with a data collection system such as this? Discuss what options might be used to reduce this bias potential.
3. The makers of "Mama's Home-Made Salsa" are concerned about the quality of their product. The particular trait of the salsa of concern is the thickness of the salsa in each jar.
a. Discuss a plan by which the managers might determine the percentage of jars of salsa believed to have an unacceptable thickness by potential purchasers. (1) Define the sampling procedure to be used, (2) the randomization method to be used to select the sample, and (3) the measurement to be obtained.
b. Explain why it would or wouldn't be feasible (or, perhaps, possible) to take a census to address this issue.