Tag
sampling
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Can you run a chi-square test on weighted survey estimates?
A chi-square test on weighted survey totals treats millions of estimated people as real observations. Why that fails and what to do instead.
Read the answer →Standard error vs standard deviation: what is the difference?
The SD describes how individual values vary; the standard error describes how a sample mean varies. How to tell which one you need, totals included.
Read the answer →Why does the central limit theorem work? An intuitive explanation
Averages look normal because averaging erases every feature of the original shape except its center and spread. The idea, without heavy math.
Read the answer →Why does bootstrapping work? A plain-language explanation
Resampling your own data sounds like cheating, yet the bootstrap gives honest standard errors. Here is the idea in everyday terms.
Read the answer →Where does the 1/sqrt(n) margin of error come from?
The rule that a poll has a margin of error of about 1/sqrt(n) is a short derivation, not a guess. Here it is step by step.
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