Quantitative Analysis II

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Quantitative Analysis II

PBAF 528 — Spring 2008

Stats Writing Tips

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• Do
• Don't
• General Tips for Memo Writing

Dos and Don'ts for Writing About Statistics (By Marieka Klawitter and heartily endorsed by Rachel Kleit!)

Empirical information can be compelling and interesting when combined with a model and understanding of the world. However, it's your job to weave the statistics into a narrative. Data are pictures that help you "tell your story"; they are not the story.

Do

Use numbers to support your argument, not to make it. Don't write about the numbers; write about ideas and hypotheses.

Use pretty pictures to keep your readers attention. Graphics (pie charts, histograms, bar charts, etc.) can help tell your story visually. Some people can most easily use info presented graphically.

Explain every statistic or graphic you use in the text. If you can't find room in the text for the explanation, ask yourself if the numbers belong there.

Provide enough information so a statistician can evaluate your work. Use appendices and footnotes for technical details of survey or analysis. This gives future researchers clues on how they can study the issue and on the meaning of your work.

Provide a clear summary of your conclusions drawn from empirical info. It's your job to synthesize all of the data and information. Your one page executive summary may be the only thing your client reads.

Acknowledge the shortcomings of your data and methods. No data or study is perfect for the purpose; yours will be no exception. Part of your job is to explain the uncertainties and caveats associated with your study. What can't we know from this study? What data, samples, or methodologies could provide better information?

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Don't

Don't try to teach statistics. Busy policy-makers can't wade through a treatise on statistics. Your job is to provide the "translation", not a lecture on the definition of a confidence interval or a p value.

Don't use the text to describe how you created the statistics. Most clients will not care about your process only your outcome. Data collection and your analysis methods should be described in an appendix, with only the important information in the text.

Don't use a cookie-cutter writing style to describe your outcomes. (E.g., For the eastern WA households, the mean was 10 and the standard deviation was 20. For the western WA households, the mean was 13 and the standard deviation was 15.) Vary your sentence construction and style to create interest. Concentrate on "telling your story" to facilitate this process.

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General Tips for Memo Writing

Make your sentences short and direct. Policy makers are busy people--don't make them wade through endless clauses and qualifying statements. Make your sentences active, clear, and concise. This is not an academic paper and there is no extra credit for flowery phrases or complex clauses. It's your job to make the paper readable and easy to understand.

Headings and short sections give direction to reader. Bold or underlined headings allow the reader to skim and will emphasize important points. By creating short sections you will keep the reader interested and keep your analysis on track.

Put important points first. Don't hide the information your client needs by prefacing it with details. This is not a mystery--you don't have to build your argument for 3 paragraphs before presenting it. Also, extended quotations and repeated citations and references are unnecessary. Put sources in footnotes or appendices, unless important to client.

Don't forget your audience. Only provide information the client needs. Interesting facts don't belong in the analysis unless they will be useful to the client. Don't forget who your client is and what info they need.

Use appendices for tangential or extended materials and information. Your analysis should be lean--just the facts. Use appendices for information you think client could skip, but may want or need. That way, the flow of your narrative is not disturbed and the client can choose to read appendices now, later, or not at all.

Appearance counts. Make your paper look good by using sections, headings, a readable font, and useful graphics. And, don't forget to spell-check. It may seem trivial, but misspelled words won't engender confidence in your analytic abilities.

Writing takes practice. Don't expect your writing to be perfect on the first draft. It takes time to make words serve your purpose. Good rewriting is the key. So, make sure you leave plenty of time after your first draft to create a second and even a third draft.

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