McSpredder Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 The standard of writing by scientists is sometimes rather poor. The actual wording in that official report was “…research undertaken with a representative sample of UK adults estimates that only 5% claim to eat game ‘fairly regularly’ in season (Mintel 2008). This figure is slightly higher in Scotland (7%) equating to ~350,000 people.” http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/sites/default/files/829-1-1512_FS245027_Final_Report_v5.pdf By my calculations, seven is 40% greater than five. Would it have been acceptable to your teachers, even at primary school level, to write that 7% was only “slightly higher” than 5%? Would any ordinary person say that a price of £7000 for one used car was only slightly higher than a price of £5000 for a different car? Was this just slipshod work, a careless mistake that somehow happened to escape the notice of all six scientists? It would be worrying if these authors were simply innumerate, but even more worrying if they had carefully chosen that wording in an attempt to mislead. A paper by the same six authors, with exactly the same title, was published in the journal “Food Control" (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713514002370) If it transpires that the same phrase “slightly higher” was used again, one must assume that editors and reviewers for that journal are also happy to regard seven as being only slightly higher than five. Do these authors and editors by any chance tend to work together, for example on joint projects? It would be regrettable if government ministers allowed food safety policy to be driven by a small group of people, forceful in expressing their own opinions but deficient in numeracy and literacy skills, a cosy little mutual admiration society who write and review and approve one another’s reports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) That explains a lot! They must serve game shot with lead on a regular basis in the Houses of Parliament then Edited October 18, 2015 by Lord Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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