Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor will be confined to discussions of papers that have appeared in The American Statistician and to important issues facing the statistical community. Letters discussing papers in The American Statistician must be received within two months of publication of the paper; the author of the paper will then be given an opportunity to reply, and the letters and reply will be published together. All letters to the editor will be refereed. Corrections of errors that have been noted in papers published in The American Statistician will be listed as corrections at the end of this section.     

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor will be confined to discussions of papers which have appeared in The American Statistician and of important issues facing the statistical community. Letters discussing papers in The American Statistician must be received within two months of publication of the paper; the author of the paper will then be given an opportunity to reply and the letters and reply will be published together. All letters to the Editor will be refereed. Corrections of errors which have been noted in papers published in The American Statistician will be listed in Corrigenda at the end of this section.     

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor will be confined to discussions of papers that have appeared in The American Statistician and of important issues facing the statistical community. Letters discussing papers in The American Statistician must be received within two months of publication of the paper; the author of the paper will then be given an opportunity to reply, and the letters and reply will be published together. All letters to the editor will be refereed. Corrections of errors that have been noted in papers published in The American Statistician will be listed as corrections at the end of this section.     

On the Non-attainability of Chebyshev Bounds

In this department The American Statistician publishes articles, reviews, and notes of interest to teachers of the first mathematical statistics course and of applied statistics courses. The department includes the Accent on Teaching Materials section; suitable contents for the section are described under the section heading. Articles and notes for the department, but not intended specifically for the section, should be useful to a substantial number of teachers of the indicated types of courses or should have the potential for fundamentally affecting the way in which a course is taught.     

Statistical Computing Software Reviews

This section is similar in organization to a Book Review section in other journals; however, software of interest to statisticians is the subject of review here. Emphasis is on software for microcomputers. Programs that operate only in larger mainframe computers will seldom receive review. Normally, producers of programs make a copy of their product available to the Section Editor, who then selects one or more persons to test the product and prepare a review.

Producers of computer software who wish to have their product reviewed are invited to contact the Section Editor, Professor Kenneth Berk, Department of Mathematics, 313 Stevenson Hall, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761.

Findings and opinions expressed in every review are solely those of the author. They should not be construed as reflecting endorsement of the product, or opinions held, by the American Statistical Association, nor is any warranty implied about any product reviewed.

STAN, Version II.0. David M. Allen. Available from Statistical Consultants, Inc., 462 E. High Street, Lexington, KY 40508. $300. Reviewed by Peter A. Lachenbruch     

Putting the P-Value in its Place

ABSTRACT

As the debate over best statistical practices continues in academic journals, conferences, and the blogosphere, working researchers (e.g., psychologists) need to figure out how much time and effort to invest in attending to experts' arguments, how to design their next project, and how to craft a sustainable long-term strategy for data analysis and inference. The present special issue of The American Statistician promises help. In this article, we offer a modest proposal for a continued and informed use of the conventional p-value without the pitfalls of statistical rituals. Other statistical indices should complement reporting, and extra-statistical (e.g., theoretical) judgments ought to be made with care and clarity.     

Statistical Computing Software Reviews

This department includes the two sections New Developments in Statistical Computing and Statistical Computing Software Reviews; suitable contents for each of these sections is described under the respective section heading. Articles submitted for the department, outside the two sections, should not be highly technical and should be relevant to the teaching or practice of statistical computing.

This section is similar in organization to a Book Review section in other journals; however, software of interest to statisticians is the subject of review here. Emphasis is on software for microcomputers. Programs that operate only in larger mainframe computers will seldom receive review. Normally, producers of programs make a copy of their product available to the Section Editor, who then selects one or more persons to test the product and prepare a review.

Producers of computer software who wish to have their product reviewed are invited to contact the Section Editor, Professor Kenneth Berk, Department of Mathematics, 313 Stevenson Hall, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761.

Findings and opinions expressed in every review are solely those of the author. They should not be construed as reflecting endorsement of the product, or opinions held, by the American Statistical Association, nor is any warranty implied about any product reviewed.

SYSTAT Leland Wilkinson. Available from Systat, Inc., 603 Main St., Evanston, IL 60202. $495 (multiple copy and site fees available). Reviewed by Mark I. Scherwish

AIDA, Version 9/82 David A. Lingwood, Available from Action-Research Northwest, 11442 Marine View Drive, S.W., Seattle, WA 98146. $235. Reviewed by Walter Liggett

MSUSTAT, MS/PC-DOS and CP/M-80 Version 2.20 Richard E. Lund. Available from Research and Development, Inc., Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717–0002. $187.50 (university and multiple-copy discounts available). Reviewed by Mervyn G. Marasinghe     

On the moment generating functions for integer valued random variables

Abstract

In this note, we give explicit expressions of moment generating functions for integer valued random variables in both univariate and multivariate cases, which extend the results obtained by Nadarajah and Mitov [Communications in Statistics–Theory and Methods, 32, 2003, 47–60] and more recently by Chakraborti, Jardim and Epprecht [The American Statistician, 2017], Kwong and Nadarajah [Communications in Statistics–Theory and Methods, 2017]. Some examples are also discussed.     

The Limited Role of Formal Statistical Inference in Scientific Inference

ABSTRACT

Such is the grip of formal methods of statistical inference—that is, frequentist methods for generalizing from sample to population in enumerative studies—in the drawing of scientific inferences that the two are routinely deemed equivalent in the social, management, and biomedical sciences. This, despite the fact that legitimate employment of said methods is difficult to implement on practical grounds alone. But supposing the adoption of these procedures were simple does not get us far; crucially, methods of formal statistical inference are ill-suited to the analysis of much scientific data. Even findings from the claimed gold standard for examination by the latter, randomized controlled trials, can be problematic.

Scientific inference is a far broader concept than statistical inference. Its authority derives from the accumulation, over an extensive period of time, of both theoretical and empirical knowledge that has won the (provisional) acceptance of the scholarly community. A major focus of scientific inference can be viewed as the pursuit of significant sameness, meaning replicable and empirically generalizable results among phenomena. Regrettably, the obsession with users of statistical inference to report significant differences in data sets actively thwarts cumulative knowledge development.

The manifold problems surrounding the implementation and usefulness of formal methods of statistical inference in advancing science do not speak well of much teaching in methods/statistics classes. Serious reflection on statistics' role in producing viable knowledge is needed. Commendably, the American Statistical Association is committed to addressing this challenge, as further witnessed in this special online, open access issue of The American Statistician.     

Statistical Quality Control in the First Statistics Course

Articles regularly apppear in the “Teacher's Corner” of The American Statistician and elsewhere discussing which topics to include in the first statistics course, the order of presentation, and relative emphasis. The basic premise of this article is that some aspects of statistical quality control (SQC) should be incorporated into that first course. In brief, three points are made: (a) SQC concepts are not now widely taught; (b) they should be; and (c) it is relatively painless to do so.     

An Expression for Fast Computation of Sample Central Moments

An expression is provided for the expectation of sample central moments. It is practical and offers computational advantages over the original form due to Kong (The American Statistician, 65, 2011, 198–199).     

Union List Management: The Initial Project and Afterwards

Abstract

Two additional libraries have now joined the West Texas Union List. One is a city-supported; the other, state-supported. These two libraries have also joined the Texas Statewide Union List of Serials. Fees for the West Texas Union List are invoiced to each member directly. So far fees for the Texas Statewide Union List have been absorbed by grants awarded the Texas State Library. At this time, the statewide list will be funded with grants for two more years.

Member libraries update information in different workflows and on different schedules. Union list coordinators learn that members will update the information in their union lists; when, will vary from library to library and from list to list. Agents and coordinators must be aware of the attitude each member library has towards the list. If the list is available on OCLC, some members may only update holdings when they replace the individual institutional list used in their library. If the list is stored on computer tape, some members may have been interested in it only because it could assist them in future serial automation projects and may not have given much thought to the importance of the list as an ongoing venture.

There may be a problem if the library staff responsible for updating the list was never really involved in the decision to join a union list and is not committed to the list beyond the initial project phase. In some cases the members have every intention of keeping the information current but are not good managers or communicators. The agent should ask what is being done and advise members on getting started, and might even offer to visit the library to assist in setting up the proper workflow.

Working with libraries involved in union list activities is a challenge. As with all management tasks, communication is the key to success. When users or members discover a problem, the group must solve it quickly or the list will lose its credibility. Each list must face the possibility that members may not want to retain membership. Some members may not want the list to grow in size, while others do. Interpreting standards and choosing bibliographic and holdings formats are potentially controversial issues.

If the members agree that the list is needed and if the list is important to them from the beginning, then they will be more flexible and understanding of the problems in each library, and more likely to contribute to keeping the list current. As the members learn to work together, their union list product becomes a major goal or interest. The list becomes a product that represents the work and cooperation of the group as a whole.     

On the Classification of Statisticians

The Editors of The American Statistician feel that the present effort of the U. S. Civil Service Commission to classify statistical positions in the Federal Service is a matter of interest to the entire profession. Dr. Deming was invited to present his views on this subject since he has been particularly concerned with the problem of definition and classification.     

Reviews and Notices

Abstract

An Annual Census of Manufactures. The Annual Statistics of Manufactures (Massachusetts), 1886, 1887, Boston, 1889. Pp. xix, 119. Reviewed by S. N. D. North

An Annual Census of Manufactures. The Annual Statistics of Manufactures, 1888. Boston, 1889. Pp, lxxxii, 147. Reviewed by S. N. D. North

Hubner's Geographisch-Statistisohe Tabellen. Otto Hübner's Geographisch-statistische Tabellen für 1889. Edited by Prof. Fr. v, Juraschek.

Hubner's Geographisch-Statistisohe Tabellen. Album of Agricultural Statistics of the United States. Department of Agriculture. Results of Investigation under direction of the Statistician. Washington, D. C., 1889. Quarto. Pp. 8; plates 16.

Comparative Statistics of Springfield Churches. Second Annual Report of the Eastern Avenue Congregational Church together with comparative statistics ofthe Springfield churches for fifty years. Springfield, Mass., Oct., 1889. Pp, 20.

Recent Industrial Reports. Third Annual Report of the Factory Inspectors of the State of New York, for the year ending December 1, 1888. Albany; 1889. Pp. 461.

Minor Notices. Third Annual Report of the Interstate Commerce Commission. December 1, 1889. Washington, 1889. Pp. 463.     

Improving dispersion tests by symmetrization

Comparing the variances of several independent samples is a classic problem and many tests have been proposed in the literature. Conover et al. [Conover, W.J., Johnson, M.E. and Johnson, M.M., 1981, A comparative study of tests for homogeneity of variances with applications to the outer continental self bidding data. Technometrics, 23, 351–361.] and Shoemaker [Shoemaker, L.H., 1995, Tests for difference in dispersion based on quantiles. The American Statistician, 49 (2), 179–182.] find that the existing tests lack power for skewed sampling distributions. To address this problem, we studied the effect of an a priori symmetrization of the data on the performance of tests for homogeneity of variances. This article also updates the comprehensive comparative study of Conover et al.     

A Graphical Display of Large Correlation Matrices

This department includes the two sections New Development in Statistical Computing and Statistical Computing Software Reviews; suitable contents for each of these sections are described under the respective section heading. Articles submitted for the department, outside the two sections, should not be highly technical and should be relevant to the teaching or practice of statistical computing.

Large correlation matrices are hard to look at. In this article we present correlations as elliptical glyphs for a simple intuitive display of large matrices.     

Reviews and Notices

Abstract

Suicide in the European Armies. Reviewed by Fred P. Emery.

Movement of Population in France For 1890. Reviewed by G. N. Calkins.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Die Bevolkerung der Erde. VIII By H. Wagner and A. Supan. Justus Perthus. Gotha, 1891. Pp. x, 271.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1890. Published by the Bureau of Statistics, Department of the Treasury. Washington, 1891. Pp. 346.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: The Statistical Year-Book of Canada for 1890. Published by the Department of Agriculture. Compiled by Sydney C. D. Roper. Ottawa, 1891. Pp. 628.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Statistical Tables for British India. 15th issue. Compiled in the Statistical Branch of the Finance and Commerce Department. Cal-cutta, 1891. Pp. 176.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Oesterreichisches Statistisches Handbuch. Ninth Year, 1890. Published by the K. K. Statistischen Central-Commission. Vienna, 1891. Pp.282.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Annuaire Statistique de la Belgique. 21st issue, 1890. Brussels, 1890. Pp. 357. Published by the Ministére de l'Intérieur.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Statistisk Arsbok för Finland. Issued by the Statistiska Central-byran. 12th issue, 1891. Helsingfors. Pp. 166.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Statistish: Aarbog for Kongeriget Norge. 10th issue, 1890. Christiana, 1890. Pp. 161.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Annuaire Statistique de la Suisse. Published by Le Bureau de Statistique du Départment Fédéral de l'Intérieur. First year, 1891. Berne. Pp. xiv, 265; two maps.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Résumé Statistique de l' Empire du Japan. No. V. Tokio, 1891. Pp. 159; map and chart.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Annual Statistical Report of the American Iron and Steel Association for 1890. By James M. Swank. Secretary. Philadelphia, 1891. Pp.80.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: American Electrical Directory for 1890–91. Published by the Star Iron Tower Co. Fort Wayne, Ind. Pp. 593.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: The Financial Reform Almanac, 1891. London. Pp, 200.

Statistical Year-Books and Annuals: Low's Hand-Book to the Charities of London, 55th year, 1891. London. Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Pp. 296.

Statistics Of German Cities: Statistisches Jahrbuch deutscher Städte. By Dr. M. Neefe, Direktor des Statistischen Amtes der Stadt Breslau. First issue. Breslau, 1890. Reviewed by Roland P. Falkner.

French Statistical Album. Reviewed by William Z. Ripley.

Preliminary Report of the Census of the United Kingdom.     

Effective directed tests for models with ordered categorical data

This paper offers a new method for testing one‐sided hypotheses in discrete multivariate data models. One‐sided alternatives mean that there are restrictions on the multidimensional parameter space. The focus is on models dealing with ordered categorical data. In particular, applications are concerned with R×C contingency tables. The method has advantages over other general approaches. All tests are exact in the sense that no large sample theory or large sample distribution theory is required. Testing is unconditional although its execution is done conditionally, section by section, where a section is determined by marginal totals. This eliminates any potential nuisance parameter issues. The power of the tests is more robust than the power of the typical linear tests often recommended. Furthermore, computer programs are available to carry out the tests efficiently regardless of the sample sizes or the order of the contingency tables. Both censored data and uncensored data models are discussed.     

An Examination of Discrepancies in Multiple Imputation Procedures Between SAS® and SPSS®

Multiple imputation (MI) has become a feasible method to replace missing data due to the rapid development of computer technology over the past three decades. Nonetheless, a unique issue with MI hinges on the fact that different software packages can give different results. Even when one begins with the same random number seed, conflicting findings can be obtained from the same data under an identical imputation model between SAS® and SPSS®. Consequently, as illustrated in this article, a predictor variable can be claimed both significant and not significant depending on the software being used. Based on the considerations of multiple imputation steps, including result pooling, default selection, and different numbers of imputations, practical suggestions are provided to minimize the discrepancies in the results obtained when using MI. Features of Stata® are briefly reviewed in the Discussion section to broaden the comparison of MI computing across widely used software packages.