Articles

Nigel Hawkes :: Tue 13th Apr 2010

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Statistics in the dock

Tomorrow a court in Antwerp is expected to rule that Holland’s worst-ever serial killer is innocent of the charges for which she was jailed for life in 2004.

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Nigel Hawkes :: Mon 12th Apr 2010

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Still no evidence to justify DNA retention

The argument over the retention of “innocent” DNA profiles has descended to a new low as the election approaches.

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Nigel Hawkes :: Fri 9th Apr 2010

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Cut-and-Paste journalists create a myth

“Rise of the high-flying wives who leave hubby in the home” wrote the Daily Mail.

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Rishab Mehan :: Fri 9th Apr 2010

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Mixed messages on inequality

In the midst of an election campaign it’s inevitable that various long-term statistics will be coming out of the woodwork.

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Nigel Hawkes :: Fri 9th Apr 2010

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Political Plotting takes a turn

Remember Left Foot Forward’s bold extrapolation of the political polls which I had a bit of fun with on this

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Nigel Hawkes :: Wed 7th Apr 2010

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Errors of omission in Home Office statistical releases

There is still room for improvement in the statistical sophistication of Home Office press releases, but very few are as bad as the notorious “knife crime” release issued on 11 December

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Nigel Hawkes :: Tue 6th Apr 2010

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No help for voters from the official statisticians

Now that a General Election has been called, can we expect the Office for National Statistics to bombard  us with useful summaries to help us make up our minds? Alas, no.

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Nigel Hawkes :: Wed 31st Mar 2010

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PM misrepresented immigration figures

You might have thought after the knife crime fiasco that No 10 Downing Street would have realised the danger of “mix and match” statistics.

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Hywel Curtis and Nigel Hawkes :: Tue 30th Mar 2010

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Making a stand for standing

With an election imminent, Labour has made a pitch for the football supporters’ vote.

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Nigel Hawkes :: Mon 29th Mar 2010

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Not in our stars but in ourselves

Why are poorer people unhealthier? A commonsense response would be because they behave more unhealthily.

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