My cat comforted me as I read my latest rejection letter: my manuscript had once again been denied by a scholarly journal. Rejection letters make us feel awful. Whether these letters are just a few lines of text, or printed with elaborate letterheads on sturdy paper, we always feel grief and disappointment. I argue that… Read more »
We recently took a guided tour of statistical significance, in which we focused on how the media often fails to correctly interpret statistical information. But, journalists are not the only group that is tripped up by statistics. The scientific community itself has been engaged in deep debate about the proper use of statistical methodology. These debates… Read more »
Academia is a tough career choice. The pay is low (especially for graduate students), the hours are long, and the job market is uncertain. Those entering the field often receive this simple advice — “publish or perish.” Publications are the central method by which people are evaluated in academia. One either continually publishes papers, ideally… Read more »