Afternoon Update: How shoddy data becomes sensational research (opinion)

An attendee's first NAFSA conference; microcredentials explained; a productive, restorative summer; Republicans in Congress target academics; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [How Shoddy Data Becomes Sensational Research]( By Gary Smith [STORY IMAGE]( Academics are addicted to p-hacking, data torturing, and other statistical sins. We must break these habits. ADVERTISEMENT LATITUDES [What a Newcomer to International Education Saw at Her First NAFSA Conference]( By Karin Fischer [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, English-language enrollments are recovering from Covid but are still far below their high-water mark. THE EDGE [Microcredentials Explained]( By Goldie Blumenstyk [STORY IMAGE]( A pair of primers offers guidelines for awarding them and evaluating them in hiring. PHOTO ESSAY [How One Rural Student Is Using Social Media and a Marketing Degree to Grow the Family Orchard]( [STORY IMAGE]( Students like Kaitlyn Thornton often wonder if a degree will mean leaving home behind. But she is juggling academic and farm work as she educates her online followers about food and agriculture. ADVICE [How to Have a Productive Yet Restorative Summer]( By Rebecca Schuman [STORY IMAGE]( Advice from a productivity expert on balancing work and play in the months before another academic year begins. TAKING AIM AT RESEARCH [Republicans in Congress Target Academics Who Study Falsehoods Spread by Trump]( Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chair of the Judiciary Committee, is demanding emails and meetings with leading disinformation researchers, part of a flurry of records requests, subpoenas, and lawsuits that scholars say has become a means of harassing them. Among the [institutions affected]( are Clemson and Stanford Universities and the University of Washington. (The Washington Post, ProPublica) IN THE COURTS [Aims Community College Settles Lawsuits With 2 Former Vice Presidents]( Terms of the settlements were not disclosed. One plaintiff, Patricia Rand, a 17-year employee of the Colorado college, claimed discrimination and a hostile work environment based on sex and retaliation, among other things. The other, Sarah Wyscaver, who worked at Aims for nearly six years, claimed violations of federal and state equal-pay laws. (Greeley Tribune) GUN VIOLENCE [2 Killed and 5 Injured in Shooting After High-School Graduation at University]( An 18-year-old who had just graduated from a high school in Richmond, Va., and his father died in the incident, which followed the commencement event on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. A 19-year-old male suspect was in custody. (NBC News) EVENTS [Browse Upcoming and On-Demand Virtual Events]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join a discussion with national experts and leading practitioners on how to navigate an uncertain future and what new ideas your institution can pursue. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs] [Join us in June]( for professional development seminars on the top issues in higher ed. Expert panelists will provide insights on national trends, managing conflict, fostering inclusive culture, and more. Our seminars are available in a bundle and for individual purchase. [Register today!]( SPONSOR CONTENT | Southeastern Conference [SEC AI Collaboration Advances Computing Benchmarks]( ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Accessible Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Accessible Campus]( Despite years of legislation meant to open up higher education to people with disabilities, colleges are still a long way from achieving equity. [Order your copy]( to examine how colleges are working to be more accessible and the challenges that remain. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037