May 29, 2017

Stat of the Week Competition: May 27 – June 2 2017

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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 June 2 2017.
  • Statistics can be bad, exemplary or fascinating.
  • The statistic must be in the NZ media during the period of May 27 – June 2 2017 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
    Michael Stickney

    Statistic: ‘One in five men have had chlamydia by the age of 38’
    Source: Stuff.co.nz
    Date: 30th May 2017

    As a male under the age of 38 I found this statistic interesting as though we have Sex Ed in college there is not much emphasis on the fact that more of us(teenagers) should be getting tested for STIs. Though this is a mainstream media outlet this should be published to colleges with an emphasis on students over the legal age that while protected sex is one way to prevent STIs you should still get tested as this number is quite high and will set the mentality to get tested in future(as they get older)

    7 years ago

  • avatar
    Rob Searle

    Statistic: “80% of people who rated the service marked it as satisfactory”. The service in question was Mental Health and the discussion had already indicated that at least some of the people receiving the service were discharged with no/inadequate follow-up
    Source: Ministry of Health Director of Mental health services
    Date: 1 June 2017

    Terrible misuse of the data in the “8 out of 10 cats” line and weak defense of the system given the nature of the service and the low probability that people with mental health issues would fill out feedback forms

    7 years ago