The DataJam
The videos provided below will introduce you to the DataJam, guide you through the process of forming a team, assist your team in selecting a research question and finding a dataset for analysis, outline the timeline for completing a DataJam project, and demonstrate how you can seek assistance from DataJam mentors for all aspects of your project.
Currently we have 7 videos to provide you with an introduction to the DataJam:
Introduction to the DataJam – This is a brief 3-minute video that is a first introduction to what the DataJam is and what it involves
DataJam Mentor Overview to the Pittsburgh DataJam – This is a longer 15-minute video that explains in more detail what “big data” is and all of the logistics of doing a DataJam project as explained by three DataJam mentors who are available to help all DataJam teams
A Walk Through The DataJam Website – A 7-minute guided tour through the highlights of The DataJam website and all the resources available to DataJam teams!
Data Diaries #1 (Small Steps to Tackle Big Data) – A 6-minute video that covers how to choose a DataJam topic, find a data set and get started with your project
Data Diaries #2 (Why Correlation is NOT Causation) – A 6:24-minute video that covers the concept that finding a correlation between two variables does NOT mean that one variable causes the other
Data Diaries #3 (Analyzing Data!) – A 9-minute video that gives hints about how to analyze a dataset to answer a research question
Data Diaries #4 (Powerful Presentations) – A 8:45-minute video that gives helpful pointers on how to tell a story with your data, in other words “How to you tell an engaging scientific story”
DataJam Guide Book
The DataJam Guide Book includes guidelines for writing a DataJam Project Proposal, a Proposal Template, a Parent Permission Slip for teams interested in joining the DataJam 2024 online Slack workspace – an excellent platform for teams to collaborate on their DataJam 2024 project and receive online assistance from DataJam mentors. Additionally, it provides guidelines for creating a DataJam Poster and the Rubric used to evaluate DataJam projects.
Proposals, permission slips and posters are all submitted by emailing them to datajam@thedatajam.org.
DataJam Questions Inspiration Guide
The DataJam has released new data set guides for those who want to start their projects! These guides contain expertly curated data sets from various fields like Biomedical and Economics, and location-based data from regional and national data bases. This guide provides sample research questions and handpicked datasets from experts in a wide variety of fields!
DataJam Timeline for 2023-24
“redSchedule a DataJam Presentation at Your School
DataJam mentors are available to give a 15-minute presentation at your school to inform students about what the DataJam is, how to form a team, and what is involved in participating in the DataJam. Presentations can be scheduled by requesting a presentation at datajam@pghdataworks.org. Presentations will be given by zoom. Alternatively, watch the 15-min DataJam Mentor Overview to the DataJam video found at the top of this page.
Register to be a 2024 DataJam Team
It is easy to register your team. Send an email to DataJam@pghdataworks.org to let us know you have a team that would like to compete in the 2024 DataJam. Include: (1) the name of your school or group, (2) the name, email address and phone number for the team advisor (a teacher or other adult), and (3) the names and email addresses for each student on the team (*non-school emails work best as some schools block emails from outside groups such as DataJam).
”
Mid-August Through September
“DataJam Proposals Due
The DataJam will review proposals submitted on a rolling basis, with feedback provided to teams within a couple weeks of their proposal submission. Teams should email their DataJam proposal to DataJam@pghdataworks.org. Use the template provided in the DataJam Guidebook, located at the bottom of this page.
Make sure the names of the team members (there must be at least 2 team members, but often are 5-8 members), and non-school email addresses are provided (note many schools block emails to student school emails from outside email addresses). Once team members have been identified, you and the students will be invited to join an Edtera Group for DataJam 2024. This is an online platform that every team can access on an internet browser where they can communicate with their team members about their project and also communicate with DataJam mentors to get help with their project.
”
Friday, December 8, 2023 -
Friday, January 26, 2024
“Feedback will be provided on DataJam proposals soon after they are submitted
The DataJam Advisory Board will provide feedback to each DataJam team about their proposal. Proposals will be accepted, and students encouraged to start working on their project, or suggestions will be made for proposal modifications before the proposal will be accepted.
”
December 2023
“Work on DataJam Projects
Teams will be able to work on their DataJam projects. Send an email to DataJam@thedatajam.org to arrange meetings with DataJam mentors, who are available to help with all aspects of the DataJam projects. Mentors can also be reached directly on the DataJam 2024 Slack workspace.
”
January to Early April
“DataJam Posters Due
Teams should email their DataJam poster to DataJam@thedatajam.org. Instructions for the poster are in the DataJam Guidebook. Posters should be 24”x36” in size and submitted as a PDF.
”
Friday, March 29, 2024
“2024 DataJam Finale
The DataJam finale will be held virtually on Zoom from 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM, EST. The week of the finale each DataJam team will give a 10-minute oral presentation, with slides, about their DataJam project to a panel of 3 judges. Instructions for the DataJam presentation are in the DataJam Guidebook. Final presentations will be scheduled with each team at a time that works for them and the judges. The DataJam Finale will feature a review of all projects competing in the 2024 DataJam and presentation of awards! All students, teachers, parents and friends are invited to attend the DataJam Finale!
”
Thursday, April 25, 2024
“DataJam Field Trips
Arrangements will be made for each DataJam team to take a field trip to a company who uses big data in their operations to see first-hand how data is used in businesses. If it is safe to do so, field trips will be scheduled in person. If Covid-19 precludes in-person visits, field trips will be scheduled by zoom.
”
March - May
Past Projects
A hallmark of the DataJam is that each team chooses the topic they want to study. But deciding on a topic for a DataJam Project usually takes some work and it is very good to have some options to choose from. The DataJam suggests that a team start the process by having each team member come up with an idea of a question they would like to address in their DataJam project. Write all the ideas down and have a group discussion and as a group decide on your top three choices.
Then start with your first choice and think about what data you will need to answer your question and start searching to see if you can find a publicly available dataset that contains the data you need. If you need several types of data to answer your question, make sure you can find each, and that the datasets are organized similarly or you can convert all your datasets into a single organizational format. For example, you might find one dataset that is organized by census tract and another that is organized by zip code. It is hard to merge data across these organizational categories because they are usually not congruent --- census tracts may cut across zip codes. If you do not succeed in finding data that will help you answer your first choice question, move on to your second choice question.
The DataJam also suggests that teams think about focusing their project on a question that is of interest to your local community. It is often easier to find local datasets to draw data from. Moreover, both students, teachers, and others get more excited about a project if it is addressing an issue that is of local interest to your community.
Completed DataJam Projects
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Poster Examples
Click a poster to get a closer look!
In this section we have some examples of past posters. Follow the instructions in the Guide Book when preparing your poster.
• Your poster should be 24” x 36”, either horizontally or vertically arranged.
• The title of your project, your school and the students participating on the team should be at the top of the poster.
• Make is easy to find:
- What is your research question?
- What dataset(s) did you use?
- A graphical visualization of the data you analyzed.
- What challenges did you face doing your project?
- What were your main results?
- Can you make recommendations based on your results?
