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