Elementary Statistics – Things to Think About When Writing About Statistics

1. Always put your analysis in context. That is, include information on the individuals being measured, the variable being measured, and the units of measurement (no floating numbers in space!). After you have written your analysis, ask yourself whether a stranger could read your words and completely understand the topic and the context.

Here is an example progression from poor statistical writing to strong statistical writing:

The median is 75.

The median is 75 beats per minute.

The median resting heart rate is 75 beats per minute.

The median resting heart rate of patients is 75 beats per minute.

The median resting heart rate of recent patients at the Makemewell Clinic is 75 beats per minute.

2. In a similar vein, be specific (rather than general) in your descriptions, linking them to the setting of the problem.

Here is an example progression from general (and non-informative) statistical writing to specific statistical writing:

The data are skewed.

The data are skewed right.

The distribution of resting heart rates is skewed right.

The distribution of resting heart rates of recent patients at the Makemewell Clinic is skewed right.

These rules apply to all the work you do in this class, but perhaps more importantly they apply to data analysis, research projects, and papers in other classes, honor’s projects, and your post-college work.