February 2013 Opinion polls (surveys) are used extensively to understand almost everything that cannot be looked up as a scientific fact. Polls are reported everyday on subjects ranging from what flavor toothpaste kids like most (Colgate probably already funded this poll), to what voters think is the best way to get out of an economic [...]
Sampling is an accepted way of making estimates at a much lower cost and when done properly, statistics can provide useful information regarding the likelihood that information obtained from the sample is representative of the entire population from which the sample was taken. This article provides a primer of information that the person considering a [...]
July 2008 Initial commentators of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on punitive damages involving the Exxon Valdez oil spill (Exxon Shipping v. Baker, No. 07-219) claim that the ruling pertains only to federal maritime law. While the Supreme Court ultimately expressed its conclusion regarding maritime law, most of the ruling was a general discussion of [...]