In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Alan McLean <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>I agree.
>One useful way of describing what statistics is as a methodology to help
>people (including researchers) not to generalise unwisely.
This is overly restricting the subject. First of all,
it is not a methodology; neither is mathematics. Those
who think this way can only treat it as a body of ritual.
They are almost certain to use it unwisely; when those in
positions of power do this, very bad results can happen.
The proper way to use mathematics is to take the "real
world" problem and formulate it as a mathematical model.
Once this is done, anything in mathematics can be used.
The formulator does not have to know anything about how
to solve the problem.
Similarly, in statistics, it is necessary to formulate
the probability assumptions, and to be aware that one
might be making really untenable assumptions. It is
also necessary to formulate the consequences of the
various actions in the various states of nature, and
the importance of these states. Then the full power
of statistics can be focused on the problem.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
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