frmichelin1-9, Exercise 3: A study of diversity in the guide

Model answer:

Question: has the share of women head chefs, and of restaurants serving a wider range of cuisines, among the starred and Bib Gourmand places changed over time?

What to count:
1. For each year, the number of starred restaurants and Bib Gourmands in chosen countries.
2. The gender of the head chef or chef-owner, from public sources.
3. The cuisine type, with clear categories decided in advance.
4. The price band, from a stated source.

Years: a long series, such as every five years from the 1990s to the present, with the same countries throughout.

What could go wrong:
1. Definitions: who is the "head chef" in a kitchen with co-chefs, and how to classify a cuisine.
2. Missing data: older editions may be hard to get, and chefs change.
3. Changes in the guide itself: adding countries changes the totals, so use shares within each country.
4. Small numbers: three-star counts are tiny, so a single change swings the percentage.
5. Cause: the data would show a trend, not why it happened.

Care: publish the method with the results, so others can check it.