136-505 Philosophical Problems in Statistics

Formerly available as 136-648, 136-512, 136-495, 136-464 and 136-050. Students who have completed 136-648, 136-512, 136-495 136-464 or 136-050 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Usually admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth year honours, or a postgraduate coursework program.

This subject will examine the claim that statistics used in the social sciences are often seriously flawed. It will examine issues such as the history of 20th century statistics, with an emphasis on the Fisher/Neyman-Pearson debates and the attempts over the last 30 years to reform social science and medical research statistics; it will examine issues such as the claim that faulty statistics severely impede the growth of the social sciences and the claim that many outstanding philosophical questions about science can be answered by a sophisticated application of Bayes' theorem.

• develop skills in written and oral communication;

• conduct independent research;

• make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources in mounting an argument;

• form defensible judgements based on a critical evaluation of conflicting arguments.

Written work totalling 5000 words, consisting of weekly mini-papers totalling 1500 words 30%, a one-hour class presentation 1000 words 20% and a 2500 word end-of-semester research paper 50%.