http://www.openculture.com/2018/02/a-field-guide-to-fake-news-and-other-information-disorders-free-manual-to-download-share-re-use.html

“Recent scandals about the role of social media in key political events in the US, UK and other European countries over the past couple of years have underscored the need to understand the interactions between digital platforms, misleading information and propaganda, and their influence on collective life in democracies,” writes First Draft, an online journal published by Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

Hence comes A Field Guide to ‘Fake News’ and Other Information Disorders–a free manual that helps “students, journalists and researchers investigate misleading and viral content, memes and trolling practices online.” Packed with valuable data visualizations, the manual highlights a “series of research protocols or ‘recipes’ that can be used to trace trolling practices, the ways false viral news and memes circulate online, and the commercial underpinnings of problematic content.

https://theconversation.com/3-questions-about-the-fisa-court-answered-91208

In 2016, the FISA court reviewed 1,485 requests for surveillance. While higher than the number of requests reviewed in 2014 (1,379) and 2015 (1,457), the number of requests has remained at 1,200 or higher since 2001.

It is rare for these requests to be denied. Of the requests made in 2016, only 34 were rejected. In most years, no requests were denied.

Since the proceedings of the court are secret, it is unclear why these denials occurred or why so few cases were denied.

It is also unclear how the current controversy over the Nunes memo will affect FISA operations in the future, if at all.

https://theconversation.com/does-wearing-a-school-uniform-improve-student-behavior-51553

Interestingly, even when evidence is available, educators’ perceptions could be at odds with it. For example, a study of educators in 38 North Carolina high schools found that 61% of the responding principals and assistant principals believed that there was a reduction in cases of misbehavior on campus when school uniforms were introduced. In reality, the data showed no change in incidents of crime, violence and suspensions.

Similarly, research on the efficacy of school uniforms on increasing student attendance and achievement is conflicted. For example, one study concluded that school uniforms resulted in increased student achievement and increased attendance.

However, another study found little impact on academics at all levels and little evidence of improvement in attendance for girls and drop in attendance for boys.