RSSeNEWS to be determined...

Statistics and statisticians are often misunderstood. Many people think statisticians are ‘something to do with numbers’ but seem to know little about the positive role data and statistics play in the world around us.

The Society recently interviewed people on the streets of London for some video vox pops. Comments ranged from ‘haven’t the foggiest’, ‘bored’ and ‘confused’ through to ‘you can say what you like with statistics’. Yet, the overall impression was of a public which trusts statisticians, but not the interpretation of statistics. Mistrust was more due to lack of confidence in those communicating statistics than in the statistics themselves. Many interviewees were interested in improving their understanding of statistics and thought this would improve their trust in data.

Last year, our long-term strategy review highlighted the opportunity to do more to meet our Charter objective ‘to promote the public understanding of statistics and the competent use and interpretation of statistics’. To achieve this Council has mandated a ten-year campaign to achieve a vision of a society in which our lives and choices are enriched by an understanding of statistics. We are confident that over ten years we can lay the foundations of a society in which everyone can read, interpret and critique data to a level which enables people to be good employees, citizens and day-to-day consumers of data and statistics.

Why now (or never…)?

There is growing, active and widespread interest in statistics and promoting statistical understanding. The UK government is now making a wealth of public data available through its recently launched data.gov.uk initiative led by internet creator, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Google has unveiled its PublicDataExplorer, based on the Trendalyser tools developed by Hans Rosling. Recognition that statistics can and should be celebrated has come with the first ever UN World Statistics Day to be held on 20 October. Our campaign can help to bring together these initiatives and many others into a mutually supportive network.

Achieving our goals

Our vision requires a cultural change so that statistics are seen as enriching people’s lives and helping them to make choices rather than something to be feared or mistrusted. An important pillar of the campaign will be supporting value-driven statistics teaching and learning, building understanding of what statistics is for and what it can do in other subjects’ contexts – in schools, colleges, the workplace and in lifelong learning. The changes we are seeking cannot be achieved overnight or in isolation and so we will be working closely with existing and new strategic partners to:

• create more awareness of the benefits of statistics and statistical know-how
• increase the level of statistical knowledge and skills and people’s confidence in using them
• increase the positive use made of statistics across all areas of education, the media, in policy making and in the choices people make in their lives
• improve attitudes towards the use of statistics leading to an improved image and perception of the discipline and statisticians wherever they work.

Initial strategy

Our strategy is to use targeted projects that move key audiences from awareness through to interest, to changes in attitudes and then to greater confidence, understanding and use of statistics. In its first two-year phase the campaign will focus on raising awareness and interest aligning with key partners to work with us in the following areas:

• to seek out sponsors and support for the initiative
• to help the build-up and launch on World Statistics Day and run follow-on events
• to undertake research to analyse the use of statistics in the school curriculum, review interventions on an international basis and benchmark statistical understanding
• to work with our specialist and local geographical groups and empower them to undertake outreach activities
• to develop our outreach magazine Significance as a tool to help teach any school discipline where data and statistics are involved
• to build www.getstats.org.uk into a portal for statistical literacy for the general public and interested specialists using social media to generate discussion and involvement in the campaign
• to develop further links with the media through an RSS media fellowship, national training coordination and our media awards scheme
• to enhance our awards by extending them into other statistical literacy-based categories.

Support the campaign and get involved

Through the getstats website (www.getstats.org.uk), members can register their support and volunteer ways they would like to get involved.

We particularly hope members actively participate in the launch of the campaign which, by design, coincides with the UN World Statistics Day on 20 October.

For our Errol Street programme that day we have already secured a talk by Chris Wild of the University of Auckland on ‘Statistical inference’. An international CensusAtSchool workshop will take place the following day. We aim to showcase stories online that highlight the beneficial contributions statisticians make in finding solutions to important global issues, particularly around UN priorities such as poverty, human rights, child mortality, diseases and epidemics. If you have a project you would like us to profile online, please tell us (in 400 words or less) about it and its impact, email:getstats@rss.org.uk.

The RSS 2010 conference

(13-17 September, Brighton) will preview the campaign. So, if you are planning to join us, please attend the Statistical Literacy strand of the conference programme and visit us at the RSS stand.

Over the coming months we will have lots more to tell you about how the campaign is progressing and how you can participate. These are exciting times.

Report by John Pullinger

chair of the campaign committee