Statistics Professional Standards & Competencies 3

Question 1

According to professional standards, what must a statistician do when they realize a previously published result contained an error?

Accepted Answer

Issue a correction or retraction in the original publication venue

Answer

Professional ethics require prompt disclosure and correction of errors in published work through appropriate channels.

Question 2

The principle of 'reproducibility' in statistical practice primarily means:

Accepted Answer

Providing sufficient documentation so that another analyst can obtain the same results from the same data

Answer

Reproducibility requires transparent documentation of methods, code, and data so independent analysts can verify results.

Question 3

A statistician is asked to consult on a study outside their area of expertise. The most professionally responsible action is to:

Accepted Answer

Accept but clearly disclose the limitations of their expertise

Answer

While declining is ideal, if accepting, the statistician must disclose expertise limitations so the client can make an informed decision.

Question 4

Which practice violates the principle of data integrity in statistical work?

Accepted Answer

Removing outliers from a dataset without disclosure

Answer

Removing outliers without documenting and disclosing the decision distorts the dataset and violates transparency standards.

Question 5

The 'replication crisis' in science primarily implicates which statistical practice?

Accepted Answer

Routine underpowered studies combined with p-hacking and selective reporting

Answer

The replication crisis is largely attributed to underpowered studies, flexible analysis choices, and suppression of null results inflating the false positive rate.

Statistics Practice Test

Statistics Practice Test

Statistics Professional Standards & Competencies 3