clairemiller.net

What It Is

Words + Numbers is a personal knowledge-sharing platform founded by Claire Miller, an award-winning UK investigative data journalist. The site focuses on telling stories through data journalism and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, helping users improve their practical skills in data collection, analysis, and visualization. Unlike structured online course platforms, it is more of a hybrid site combining a professional blog, tutorial resources, and a personal portfolio.

Core Dimensions

• Course Areas: Focuses on data journalism, data analysis, data visualization, and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The content is highly specialized, especially its practical guidance on FOI requests and appeals, which is rarely available elsewhere.
• Teaching Format: Primarily text-and-image blog posts, with regularly updated tutorials and tips, such as the #FOIFriday series. It also offers an ebook titled Getting Started with Data Journalism for more in-depth learning.
• Instructor Background: Claire Miller has over a decade of investigative reporting experience at both national and regional newspapers in the UK. She has worked with thousands of datasets and has even defeated the Information Commissioner in court, giving her exceptionally strong hands-on experience.
• Best For: Mainly aimed at journalists, investigative reporters, and anyone who needs to use data to communicate with the public or hold public institutions accountable.

Pricing

The blog posts and regular tutorials on the site are completely free. The ebook Getting Started with Data Journalism is paid, but the article does not disclose a specific price.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: The instructor has a very strong real-world background, and the content is drawn from actual investigative reporting; FOI-related guidance is rare and highly practical; the free blog resources are updated frequently and contain a lot of actionable material.
• Cons: Lacks a systematic course structure, so the knowledge is somewhat fragmented; no video lessons or interactive guidance; no completion certificate is offered; ebook pricing is not transparent.

Who It’s For

Best suited for journalists and citizen investigators who already have some foundation in journalism or data analysis and want practical techniques for FOI requests, faster data cleaning, and visual storytelling. If you are looking for a structured video course starting from zero, this platform may not meet your needs.

Access from China

As a personal blog-style website, it can usually be accessed directly from mainland China. Loading speed depends on the network environment, and no proxy is required.