Perhaps it would be helpful to start by explaining what this blog is not:
This blog is not a technical discourse on statistics.
The primary reason it is not a technical discourse is that I’m not a statistician. I’ve spent
almost twenty years generating, interpreting and using statistics – and I keep reading
and learning to constantly upgrade my skills – but I would never describe myself as a
statistician. I’m simply someone who has learned how to use statistics as tools to:
- develop internal or external communications and messages
- evaluate how a program or service is doing
- interpret technical articles or reports
This blog is about sharing some of what I’ve learned along the way. Let’s face it: all
of us deal with statistics in some form or other most days of the week. Perhaps it’s a
news report about a medical test or treatment, a report from your polling firm, a program
evaluation, marketing report or government report. The more clearly you understand
what stats do and — perhaps more importantly, do not tell you — the more efficiently you
can use information. Most of all, I hope to disperse some of the mystique that can cloud
the true meaning of many statistics.
As well, from time to time I’ll describe some of the interesting things I’ve been reading in
behaviour change. Again, my goal is to give you quick summaries and toplines that are
applicable to everyday life.
About Corinne Hodgson
Corinne Hodgson trained in the qualitative world of social and cultural anthropology (MA
from McMaster University) but then took a u-turn into the world of quantitative research.
In a short time, she had to learn SPSS, questionnaire design, sampling design, and
how to enter, analyze and interpret data. It was like being thrown into the deep end of
a very large pool when you’ve never been taught how to swim. So she understands
what it feels like to be confronted with statistics when you don’t have the training to truly
understand them.
Since that time, she’s spent nearly twenty years working in health research, evaluation,
and communications. Along the way she picked up a MSc from the Department of
Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster, and is currently enrolled in a
doctorate of health program at the University of Bath (UK). This blog – and her company
– is a reflection of the skills, experiences and colleagues that she’s developed.
About CSH Associates
CSH Associates (Corinne S. Hodgson & Associates Inc) is a boutique communications
and research firm that brings together highly effective and experienced professionals
in two key areas: research and communications. Perhaps what sets CSH Associates
apart is the experience of the principal and the associates that are brought into project
as needed: all have worked in their respective fields (writing, editing, data analysis or research) for at least 15 years. When you employ CSH Associates, your work is never assigned to a junior associate with little or no practical experience in the subject area!