April 13, 2015

Stat of the Week Competition: April 11 – 17 2015

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Each week, we would like to invite readers of Stats Chat to submit nominations for our Stat of the Week competition and be in with the chance to win an iTunes voucher.

Here’s how it works:

  • Anyone may add a comment on this post to nominate their Stat of the Week candidate before midday Friday April 17 2015.
  • Statistics can be bad, exemplary or fascinating.
  • The statistic must be in the NZ media during the period of April 11 – 17 2015 inclusive.
  • Quote the statistic, when and where it was published and tell us why it should be our Stat of the Week.

Next Monday at midday we’ll announce the winner of this week’s Stat of the Week competition, and start a new one.

The fine print:

  • Judging will be conducted by the blog moderator in liaison with staff at the Department of Statistics, The University of Auckland.
  • The judges’ decision will be final.
  • The judges can decide not to award a prize if they do not believe a suitable statistic has been posted in the preceeding week.
  • Only the first nomination of any individual example of a statistic used in the NZ media will qualify for the competition.
  • Individual posts on Stats Chat are just the opinions of their authors, who can criticise anyone who they feel deserves it, but the Stat of the Week award involves the Department of Statistics more officially. For that reason, we will not award Stat of the Week for a statistic coming from anyone at the University of Auckland outside the Statistics department. You can still nominate and discuss them, but the nomination won’t be eligible for the prize.
  • Employees (other than student employees) of the Statistics department at the University of Auckland are not eligible to win.
  • The person posting the winning entry will receive a $20 iTunes voucher.
  • The blog moderator will contact the winner via their notified email address and advise the details of the $20 iTunes voucher to that same email address.
  • The competition will commence Monday 8 August 2011 and continue until cancellation is notified on the blog.
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Rachel Cunliffe is the co-director of CensusAtSchool and currently consults for the Department of Statistics. Her interests include statistical literacy, social media and blogging. See all posts by Rachel Cunliffe »

Nominations

  • avatar
    Donald Ellis

    Statistic: Probably the most important statistic of the week was Auckland Councils’s survey of residents on options for future transport funding.

    Unusually for a council AC actually commissioned a competent agency to to do an RSS to find out what people think.

    Even though the format was significantly better than putting a proposal out for consultation I have some unease about this survey and the weight the Auckland Mayor is obviously putting on it.

    My first minor quibble is that I am not sure that all respondents would understand the distinction between a motorway and all other roads and streets. Motorways in AKl are paid for through taxpayer funds generated by a combination of fuel tax, RUC’s and vehicle registration fees. All other roads are paid for by a combination of rates and the same taxpayer funds.

    My major problem with surveys of this kind is that respondents have a limited idea what the impact of the various proposals would have on them personally.

    I would be interested in how the StatsChat team assess surveys on complex topics like this.

    Best wishes
    Donald
    Source: Radio NZ
    Date: 17/4/15

    Public interest

    10 years ago