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    The mismatch between current statistical practice and doctoral training in ecology

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    Author
    Touchon, Justin C.; McCoy, Michael W.
    Abstract
    Ecologists are studying increasingly complex and important issues such as climate change and ecosystem services. These topics often involve large data sets and the application of complicated quantitative models. We evaluated changes in statistics used by ecologists by searching nearly 20,000 published articles in ecology from 1990 to 2013. We found that there has been a rise in sophisticated and computationally intensive statistical techniques such as mixed effects models and Bayesian statistics and a decline in reliance on approaches such as ANOVA or t tests. Similarly, ecologists have shifted away from software such as SAS and SPSS to the open source program R. We also searched the published curricula and syllabi of 154 doctoral programs in the United States and found that despite obvious changes in the statistical practices of ecologists, more than one-third of doctoral programs showed no record of required or optional statistics classes. Approximately one-quarter of programs did require a statistics course, but most of those did not cover contemporary statistical philosophy or advanced techniques. Only one-third of doctoral programs surveyed even listed an optional course that teaches some aspect of contemporary statistics. We call for graduate programs to lead the charge in improving training of future ecologists with skills needed to address and understand the ecological challenges facing humanity.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5870
    Subject
     Ecology; Statistics; Graduate programs; Education 
    Date
    2016-08-17
    Citation:
    APA:
    Touchon, Justin C., & McCoy, Michael W.. (August 2016). The mismatch between current statistical practice and doctoral training in ecology. Ecosphere, (7:8), p.1-11. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5870

    Display/Hide MLA, Chicago and APA citation formats.

    MLA:
    Touchon, Justin C., and McCoy, Michael W.. "The mismatch between current statistical practice and doctoral training in ecology". Ecosphere. 7:8. (1-11.), August 2016. August 08, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5870.
    Chicago:
    Touchon, Justin C. and McCoy, Michael W., "The mismatch between current statistical practice and doctoral training in ecology," Ecosphere 7, no. 8 (August 2016), http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5870 (accessed August 08, 2022).
    AMA:
    Touchon, Justin C., McCoy, Michael W.. The mismatch between current statistical practice and doctoral training in ecology. Ecosphere. August 2016; 7(8) 1-11. http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5870. Accessed August 08, 2022.
    Collections
    • 2016-2017 Open Access Publishing Fund
    • Biology
    • Open Access Fund
    • Open Access Publishing Support Fund

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