Persistent Controversy in Statistical Approaches in Wildlife Sciences: A Perspective of Students

Abstract

The controversy over the use of null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) has persisted for decades, yet NHST remains the most widely used statistical approach in wildlife sciences and ecology. A disconnect exists between those opposing NHST and many wildlife scientists and ecologists who conduct and publish research. This disconnect causes confusion and frustration on the part of students. We, as students, offer our perspective on how this issue may be addressed. Our objective is to encourage academic institutions and advisors of undergraduate and graduate students to introduce students to various statistical approaches so we can make well-informed decisions on the appropriate use of statistical tools in wildlife and ecological research projects. We propose an academic course that introduces students to various statistical approaches (e.g., Bayesian, frequentist, Fisherian, information theory) to build a foundation for critical thinking in applying statistics. We encourage academic advisors to become familiar with the statistical approaches available to wildlife scientists and ecologists and thus decrease bias towards one approach. Null hypothesis statistical testing is likely to persist as the most common statistical analysis tool in wildlife science until academic institutions and student advisors change their approach and emphasize a wider range of statistical methods.

The mismatch between current statistical practice and doctoral training in ecology

“…With these changes in mind, it is paramount that the next generation of ecologists attain training that reflects the changes observed in the discipline (Butcher et al. ), lest those students become professionals without the proper training to critique, interpret, and synthesize current literature. Similar calls have been made at the level of undergraduate education (AAAS ).…”

“…This discussion is not new (e.g., Quinn and Dunham ), and several authors have pleaded for more intensive training in mathematics and statistics in ecology (e.g., Johnson , Ellison and Dennis , Robeva and Laubenbacher , Hobbs and Ogle ), including students frustrated by their lack of training (Butcher et al. ). Indeed, Barraquand et al.…”

Paths to statistical fluency for ecologists

“…In the statistical shoe store, do ecologists sometimes cut the foot to fit the shoe? How can we learn to do more than just determine P values associated with mean squared error terms in ANOVA (Butcher et al . 2007)?…”

Faculty response

“…Needing guidance on this new approach, several graduate students (with limited formal training in statistics) came together, identified a test dataset, performed analyses, and eventually published a paper on the method (Gillies et al 2006). Graduate students are often frustrated by limited options in statistics courses, inconsistencies in past studies, and ongoing debates among scientists about various statistical approaches (Butcher et al 2007). A group of graduate students can create a safe haven to explore these issues and resolve the ambiguities.…”