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Radical Statistics 4th Biennial

Critical Essay

Competition

Invitation for written submissions that addresses a current social research/policy question with critical use and interpretation of relevant data sources, of 3,000 words maximum, by 1st July 2008.

Decisions will be made by 1st September 2008. Winning essays will be featured on the website and published in a special issue of Radical Statistics.

1st prize £300

2nd prize £200

With two categories:

Student: undergraduates or postgraduates
Open:  any non-student
both may be awarded 1st & 2nd prizes.

Judges are:
Professor Danny Dorling, University of Sheffield,
Dr Eileen Magnello, University College London,
Dr Ben Goldacre, journalist and MD.

Please print a promotional flyer to pass along.

Submissions must be unpublished, & unaided original work either specifically produced for the competition or originating from a course of study.

Essays should address a current social research policy / question with critical use and interpretation of relevant data sources, or be a critique of statistical methodology in an applied context.

Prizes will be awarded on the basis of readability, clear presentation of statistical material, critical perspective and convincing argument. The judges reserve the right to redistribute prizes between entrant categories and not to award depending of the quality of the submissions.

In some circumstances the submission may be the work of more than one person, in which case any prize awarded would be shared. Note: where a submission originates from course work, written consent of the tutor responsible will be required.

Enter, by sending your essay, subject line: RadStats Critical Essay, including full name, email & postal address, and institution at which you are studying or engaged in statistics, social research, or the social sciences to essay@radstats.org.uk.


Radical Statistics was formed in 1975 by researchers and statisticians with a common concern about the political implications of their work and an awareness of the actual and potential misuse of statistics. The RSG is independent of any other organisation. Members are radical in being committed to helping build a more free, democratic and egalitarian society. Radical Statistics meets once a year and holds an open conference on a topical theme and publishes a journal three times a year (interested in joining? - send message to admin@radstats.org.uk.

It also has a public electronic discussion list (you can join online at: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/radstats.html where you can also access archives of past messages and get more details on the list). In recent years the group has published a number of books including Statistics in Society, Ed Daniel Dorling and Steven Simpson, Official health statistics; an unofficial guide, Ed. Susan Kerrison and Alison Macfarlane and Tackling inequalities: where are we now and what can be done? Ed. Christina Pantazis and David Gordon.

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