NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ841514
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jul
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1069-1898
EISSN: N/A
Truth, Damn Truth, and Statistics
Velleman, Paul F.
Journal of Statistics Education, v16 n2 Jul 2008
Statisticians and Statistics teachers often have to push back against the popular impression that Statistics teaches how to lie with data. Those who believe incorrectly that Statistics is solely a branch of Mathematics (and thus algorithmic), often see the use of judgment in Statistics as evidence that we do indeed manipulate our results. In the push to teach formulas and definitions, we may fail to emphasize the important role played by judgment. We should teach our students that they are personally responsible for the judgments they make. But we must also offer guidance for their statistical judgments. Such guidance requires that we acknowledge the role of ethics in Statistics. The principle guiding these judgments should be the honest search for truth about the world, and the principle of seeking such truth should have a central place in Statistics courses. (Contains 13 endnotes.)
American Statistical Association. 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Tel: 703-684-1221 or 888-231-3473; Fax: 703-684-2037; e-mail: asainfo@amstat.org; Website: http://www.amstat.org/publications/jse
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A