Ask MetaFilter

I'm a little farther away from survey design than I used to be, but I'm seeing a massive swing on a survey delivered on a regular cadence (not just at delivery) and I vaguely remember a reason why and it had to do with the way the initial population is identified. [more inside]
posted by Nanukthedog on Aug 3, 2022 - 2 answers

I want to pursue a degree that is largely a math degree, and I am really trying to figure out if it is something I can do at my age with my (lack of) math skills, if I work hard at it. I have always identified as being "bad at math", avoided it where I can, and yes, internalized "women are bad at math". I am 45 years old, which concerns me about tackling a subject that I will likely struggle with. But I want to switch to the the data science undergrad degree and as my advisor explained, its more math that computers. Its calculus and then some. [more inside]
posted by [insert clever name here] on Nov 25, 2021 - 24 answers

I have two basketball hoops that, in theory, electronically record baskets made. The hoops blatantly under-report. With a big spreadsheet of points earned on each basket, but not shots attempted, by teams in a league can I statistically show the likelihood of one hoop being worse at registering shots than the other? [more inside]
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug on Feb 10, 2020 - 14 answers

We know that Buffalo, Montreal and Carolina have the top 3 NHL draft picks, but not the ordering. We also know that they had, in order, 18.5%, 9.5% and 3.0% chance of winning the first draft pick. Given that we know one of them did, what is each team's chance of getting the first draft pick? [more inside]
posted by jeather on Apr 28, 2018 - 7 answers

What information and statistical tests do I use to find out if moving biographies to their own special display actually increased their popularity? I want to take a rigorous approach that includes confidence levels. [more inside]
posted by Nissake on Dec 13, 2017 - 13 answers

I have a set of items that people have voted on and given a score out of 10. For the sake of discussion, let's say they're movies. What's the best way to use those votes to determine a list of the top 10 movies? [more inside]
posted by Proginoskes on Aug 13, 2017 - 8 answers

I'm making board games as a hobby and I'd like to have a better understanding of statistics and similar math topics in order to start the design stronger outta the gate - having better balance instead of just guessing. [more inside]
posted by symbioid on Oct 21, 2016 - 4 answers

Where do English majors go to learn key principles behind deriving mathematically sound meaning from data? I worked for years as a digital editor. Now I'm a "content strategist," which means I'm responsible for proving my new strategy increases reader engagement via different metrics like UVs, shares, attention time, average story finish rate, etc. I'm very familiar with platforms like Google Analytics and Chartbeat. But I want to learn how to see patterns in them there numbers, and I NEED to make sure my insights are mathematically accurate. How can I most efficiently do that without getting a brain transplant? (Example below.) [more inside]
posted by jessca84 on Nov 12, 2015 - 13 answers

I'm struggling hard in my statistics class right now. Some of it comes from not grasping the concepts, but a bigger part is the ridiculous level of anxiety I've developed about my grades, and catastrophizing about what a low grade means. Help me attack both aspects of the problem. [more inside]
posted by ActionPopulated on Mar 28, 2013 - 22 answers

I have recently been introduced to the concept of pseudoreplication as a mistake that people often make when using inferential statistics to evaluate treatment outcomes. My field (evolutionary and conservation biology) makes heavy use of inferential statistics, including techniques that are vulnerable to pseudoreplication, yet nowhere in my formal education have I been taught about how poor experimental design and lack of statistical rigor can lead to fallacies like this. My personal statistical proficiency is poor, but I am working to remedy that. To that end, could folks help me by identifying and ideally explaining whatever other potential pitfalls you can think of, and explaining how they can be avoided through careful experimental design and data-analysis?
posted by Scientist on Jan 26, 2013 - 5 answers

When calculating a statistical average, is it reasonable to remove outliers? [more inside]
posted by JPigford on Jan 13, 2012 - 31 answers

Please provide me with an *effective*, and statistically sound, table/chart listing suggested sample size guidance for associated population size [more inside]
posted by thankyoumuchly on Jan 14, 2010 - 11 answers

Looking for resources regarding math in sports. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Mar 17, 2009 - 12 answers

Statistics-filter: I need to establish to what extent student performance on a particular standardized test is predicted by each of the following: GPA, standardized test scores and a couple of other miscellaneous numerical factors. How do I go about this? [more inside]
posted by perissodactyl on Mar 6, 2008 - 11 answers

Looking for math formulas involving food. [more inside]
posted by JaySunSee on Aug 4, 2007 - 5 answers

How do I process user ratings of content without skewing results of items that have only been rated once? [more inside]
posted by Orkboi on Jul 10, 2006 - 19 answers

Ok, so I'm an Anthropology major ,and I decided taking a course called Quantification of Archaeological Data would be a good idea... [more inside]
posted by rbf1138 on May 7, 2006 - 2 answers