Where’s the baseline or control group? What’s the average salary in the classification without a certification? What the standard deviation for that group. Is the PMP for example within 1 standard deviation? If so, then the number is pretty much WORTHLESS.

Like all market surveys, be it Standish or a simple minded sample for students learning something in the classroom, the absence of a statistical significance assessment means several things:

1. The person creating the survey was not paying attention in the high school statistics class and has failed to grasp the notion of statistical significance.

2. They’re trying to sell you something.

The book How To Lie With Statistics, Darrell Huff, W. W. Norton (I own the 1954 edition) is a good place to start.

My favorite quote from the inside cover is:

“Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write,” – H. G. Wells

I guess not

Where’s the baseline or control group? What’s the average salary in the classification without a certification? What the standard deviation for that group. Is the PMP for example within 1 standard deviation? If so, then the number is pretty much WORTHLESS.

Like all market surveys, be it Standish or a simple minded sample for students learning something in the classroom, the absence of a statistical significance assessment means several things:

1. The person creating the survey was not paying attention in the high school statistics class and has failed to grasp the notion of statistical significance.

2. They’re trying to sell you something.

The book How To Lie With Statistics, Darrell Huff, W. W. Norton (I own the 1954 edition) is a good place to start.

My favorite quote from the inside cover is:

“Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write,” – H. G. Wells

I guess not

Great points too about the role being played in an organization and the actual use of concepts to create business value.

Great points too about the role being played in an organization and the actual use of concepts to create business value.