D3) The Perils of P Values: How to Be Smart When Writing about Stats
- Time:
- Saturday, October 18th, 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm
- Location:
- Bellows EF, Hilton Columbus Downtown
- Speaker(s):
- Regina NuzzoFreelance journalist and professor at Gallaudet University
- Kristin SainaniAssociate professor at Stanford University and freelance science writer
- Tom SiegfriedFreelance science journalist
- Veronica Vieland, Ph.D.The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital & The Ohio State University
- Moderator(s):
- Tom SiegfriedFreelance science journalist
- Organizer(s):
- Regina NuzzoFreelance journalist and professor at Gallaudet University
- Tom SiegfriedFreelance science journalist
Every science writer will eventually run into P values, a mysterious and controversial measure of “statistical significance.” Here we’ll see how even scientists get P values wrong, and how we can help our readers by getting them right — even without a math degree. What does a P value mean? How can we convey its information to readers in plain English? We’ll discuss its paradoxes and pitfalls, see examples of what and what not to do, and explore the implications for covering scientific studies. All backgrounds are welcome for this very applied session, from the stats-savvy to the completely math-phobic.
