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One of the great intellectual contributions of the 20th century has been the development of statistics as a tool for researchers. Unfortunately, the
formal statistical training many information professionals receive is limited to a course or two that attempts to meet the needs of the researcher rather than the needs of the practitioner or consumer of
research. Many introductory courses do not help students distinguish between the forest of broadlyapplicable principles from the trees of statistical procedures and formulas. Courses with a traditional
perspective make it difficult for information professionals to get the most out of what they read (or refuse to read!) in researchbased journals.Just as the weekend gardener does not have to identify each weed to use
a broadleaf herbicide with some success, so too can the nonresearcher use a few conceptual tools to simplify the job of reading empirical research and interpreting statistical analyses. Things can be simpler for
consumers because they can make use of information that is not available to the researcher. For example, if journal editors can be relied upon to ensure that statistical procedures were selected properly and
carried out accurately, then readers could focus their efforts on interpreting and applying what is published in these journals. Similarly, the task of reading statistics is quite different and much less
complicated than the task the researcher faces in selecting statistics and calculating results. The primary goal of this workshop is to present these conceptual tools and, through examples and practice, help
information professionals gain proficiency in understanding, evaluating, and applying what they read in empirical research reports and journal articles. A secondary goal is to show how these tools can be
powerfully applied to qualitative methods of research as well. This workshop will be useful to information professionals who are "consumers" of empirical research and to those who want a refresher or
overview course on these topics. |
Statistics for Practitioners and Readers of
Research: A Practical Update 