I have been a statistical tutor since 1956. Kidding. Some time has past since I first started this company, Moore Statistics Consulting. And I have picked up on a few common mistakes along the way. A lot of my clients are PhD Students and I can safely say it is quite natural to make a mistake in your write-up. Here are a few things to watch out for while embarking on your statistical journey:
(1) Always compare your tables and figures with the write-up. It is very easy to put the wrong numbers in the narrative. I have seen this many times and I attribute to fatigue. You have been working on it for so long that it’s easy to overlook something. If your sample is 150 in the table, it should be 150 in the write-up.
(2) Know the stats. What does the data mean in terms of your field? Get into the habit of translating the results in terms of the field. Because at some point you will challenged for what you know…
(3) Always …always…always embrace what you know…If you did the extensive research on a topic and you verified the facts then – you know it!
-Moore to follow Amy
