Straight Statistics to merge with Full Fact
After three years as an independent organisation Straight Statistics is to merge with Full Fact.
We see this as an opportunity to create an organisation more expert and more influential than either could be alone and we hope our supporters will be as excited as we are by the possibilities.
Both organisations have same the aim: exploring matters of public interest with the aim of establishing the truth.
Full Fact is a generalist factchecking organisation and is well known for working with regulators including the UK Statistics Authority and the Press Complaints Commission to get misleading claims corrected.
As well as analysing statistical claims on straightstatistics.org and exposing poor practice to a growing audience, Straight Statistics has made its reputation by supporting the founding of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Statistics and training journalists from new graduates to the top levels of the national press.
In order to ensure that Straight Statistics’ important work can continue, we are advertising for a statistician, or a journalist with an interest in statistics, to create a network of contributors and take forward our work.
The Chairman of Straight Statistics, Lord Lipsey, will join the board of Full Fact. Will Moy, Director of Full Fact, will be responsible for the merged organisation. The two websites will continue to operate independently for the time being until our recruitment is complete.
Straight Statistics is grateful for the support of its readers and for the ideas they have contributed, and for a grant from the Nuffield Foundation, which also supports Full Fact.
The Board of Straight Statistics would like to take this opportunity publicly to thank Nigel Hawkes, its Director, for all that he has done for Straight Statistics.
Our continuing work needs your support. Please make a donation (via Full Fact).
Dwight Hines (not verified) wrote,
Wed, 30/11/2011 - 23:34
Congratulations, I think. I've gotten a lot out of your postings. They have helped me identify problems in other's works, as well as weaknesses in my own thinking.
I'm in USA, a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors and other such groups. Once you get this merger under your belt and life looks to be short of challenges, think about how we might be able to include a small section on commonalities. For example, look below at what the World Bank and IMF are looking for in terms of help and suggestions on topics that will impact on both US and England, but in somewhat different ways.
Dwight Hines, Ph.D.
IRE, Net-Gold
Peru, Maine USA
================
These are wonderful databases that need mining in and of themselves but also in relationship to databases collected by other organizations.
Dwight Hines
Dear Colleague:
On behalf of the World Bank Group’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), it is my pleasure to invite you to participate in the 2011 IEG Client Survey of our clients and stakeholders. IEG is charged with evaluating the activities of the World Bank (IBRD and IDA), the work of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in private sector development, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency’s (MIGA) guarantee projects and services. IEG reports directly to the World Bank Group's Board of Directors. The goals of evaluation are to provide an impartial assessment of the results of the Bank Group’s work and to identify and disseminate lessons learned from experience.
The purpose of the survey is to get your feedback and opinion on IEG's products and services. The survey will help us to better understand what kind of products and services you find most useful, and to improve the quality of our evaluations. The results of the surveys are presented to IEG management and to the World Bank Group's Board of Directors as an assessment of IEG’s effectiveness. Your feedback will help us improve the way we carry out our mandate.
To ensure objectivity and independence, IEG has engaged an international opinion research firm, GlobeScan Incorporated, to manage and oversee this project. GlobeScan has extensive international research experience and has managed global surveys for private and public sector clients for many years.
You may be wondering how you were chosen for this survey. We have provided GlobeScan with lists of important clients and stakeholders. Your name has been selected from this list. GlobeScan will soon send you the invitation to the survey to ensure that your name is never identified to IEG.
I know how busy you must be but if you are contacted by GlobeScan, I would be most grateful if you would take the online survey. The survey will be undertaken in strictest confidentiality and the researchers will not associate opinions with individual respondents in the final reporting. Responding to the survey should take between 10 and 15 minutes.
I hope you will be able to participate in this important process and look forward to sharing the results on IEG’s website soon. Thank you for your time and attention.
Kind regards,
Caroline Heider
Director General and Senior Vice-President
Independent Evaluation Group (IEG)
World Bank Group
Reevel Alderson (not verified) wrote,
Thu, 01/12/2011 - 09:51
I hope the merger of Straight Statistics and Full Fact will not mean a diminution or dilution of the work the former has been doing. In particular I would single out Nigel Hawkes and Sheila Bird whose contributions have invariably been interesting, illuminating and incisive. They have certainly helped me and my colleagues ensure we treat statistical stories with scepticism and have helped changed many of our perceptions. We hope the new merged organisation will continue this very useful work and publish as many interesting articles. Reevel Alderson, BBC Scotland.
Mark Piney (not verified) wrote,
Thu, 01/12/2011 - 10:02
Nigel - Thanks for your, and your colleagues, excellent work. Absolutely first rate and clear. I hope that Full Facts learns from your good practice.
I sent the following comment to Full Facts "Please allow comments on your pieces in the same way as Straight Statistics allow. Not to do this means that your pronouncements come across as unassailable statements of 'the truth'. As some sort of infallible papal fact source. Please allow and encourage discussion and learn from the best bits of Straight Statistics practice, rather than simply absorbing them."
I hope that they respond positively and imaginatively.