How do researchers determine what is true based on the data they collect? This question is one of the central concerns of statistics, which uses mathematical models to draw useful conclusions about the real world.

Officially known as the Italian Republic, the country is found in southern Europe. The official language is Italian and the cultural rich capital is Rome. Many of the world's oldest universities are located in Italy, in particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088). There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.