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Statistics are informative on the data you collected. But if you collected the wrong data, or collected it in the wrong way (i.e. biased sampling), they are les
by mellavora 12y ago
Statistics are informative on the data you collected. But if you collected the wrong data, or collected it in the wrong way (i.e. biased sampling), they are less helpful at getting to the truth.
Assuming, of course, you want the truth. Lies, damn lies, and statistics as they say.
- remarkEon 12y agoP-value related articles have been popping up on HN recently, but I'd like to say that another place needing scrutiny is probably back at the beginning in model specification. Bias introducing model design at the beginning render the rest of the analysis essentially meaningless. I know you're joking, but sometimes I wonder if "lies, damn lies, and statistics" isn't one of the worst phrases ever uttered in the English language. It's been a way for people to just say "hey, it's just a statistic. who cares!" and continue doing whatever they're doing. It's become this terrible meme where someone who openly admits that they "aren't a math person" gets to thrown down this trump card saying that your analysis is bullshit. But hey, I'm a baseball fan.
- sesqu 12y agoThe whole brouhaha over P-values has really been annoying me, specifically because 95% (Bayesian statistic) of the condemnations I've seen have been about people picking bad models until they get convenient P-values, and 5% have been about important misunderstandings about what they measure.
- remarkEon 12y agoThat is exactly what I'm saying.