Experts and users discuss meat, animal rights, food and nutrition: margin-of-error
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smoke and mirrors
Margin of error
No one seems to know much statistics here. The confidence MUST be set in advance, and determines the margin of error. To speak of one without the other is meaningless. That is, if you wish to discriminate among populations (vegans and meat lovers) with 90% confidence level, you might have a margin of error of 1, or 2, or 1.75 points. However, you can't go back to say a 1.75% gives a 90% confidence level - that's intellectually dishonest and statistically bankrupt.
As Disraeli said, 'There are lies, damn lies, and statistics'.
- AlibiFarmer
September 5, 2008 12:46PM
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it's been a while
it's been a while since I took statistics in college, but I don't not believe that the confidence level would change my point. Actually, if it did change it would be in my favor. If the margin of error is greater than 1.75 at 90% then the poll is meaningless. If it is greater than 1.75 at 95% then it is even more meaningless ;)
Either way my asking for the margin of error holds. Btw, I find it odd that you took the time to comment with the sole purpose of saying that you know statistics better than others. You didn't add any value to our discussion of the poll at hand.
- reckoner
September 6, 2008 10:15AM
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