Statistics, Research, and Ethical Considerations

Next week, we will be moving into the part of the course that deals with statistical inference. The text describes statistical inference as making “accurate decisions about parameters from statistics.” (Kozak, 2014, p. 202); in other words, drawing conclusions about populations based on samples. Statistical methods are vital tool in the conduct of research, but only if they are used in a manner that accurately and honestly depicts the information that the research may reveal (or NOT reveal). Ethical considerations also play a major role in proper conduct of statistical research.

Many professional organizations publish ethical guidelines about the use of statistics and research, which have particular relevance for their fields and professions. The ethical guidelines below are from the American Statistical Association (ASA) and are more general to the use of statistics:

American Statistical Association (April 2016). Ethical guidelines for statistical practice. Report prepared by the Committee on Professional Ethics of the American Statistical Association, Alexandria, VA. Retrieved from: http://www.amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/Ethical-Guidelines-for-Statistical-Practice.aspx

For this discussion, please answer the following two questions. In your chosen field:

• Why is it important that statistical research follow ethical guidelines?
• What are some potential consequences of not following ethical statistical practice in your field of study (i.e., results used improperly, etc.)?

Reference

Kozak, K. (2014). Statistics using technology. Retrieved from https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/oerfiles/statsusingtech.pdf