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Old 07-05-2016, 09:28 AM
noonereal noonereal is offline
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Can anecdotal evidence be conclusive?

Isn't anecdotal evidence non conclusive by definition?

I read this, "Anecdotal evidence concludes that 96% of us are symptom free by 2 years. 99% are symptom free by year 3." and thought, how can anecdotal evidence be conclusive?

Can it be?
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Old 07-05-2016, 09:38 AM
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That's what I've heard.
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Old 07-05-2016, 09:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by noonereal View Post
Isn't anecdotal evidence non conclusive by definition?

I read this, "Anecdotal evidence concludes that 96% of us are symptom free by 2 years. 99% are symptom free by year 3." and thought, how can anecdotal evidence be conclusive?

Can it be?
That seems to be results based upon casual observation rather than results based upon peer-reviewed scientific analysis. It's kinda like me saying that I have never met a Trump supporter in real life, so therefore nobody in the world supports Trump.
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Old 07-05-2016, 10:26 AM
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From the English it is logical.

It is saying openly I am coming to a conclusion based on anecdotal evidence.

So my conclusion is extremely modified.

Now you can reject that as bullshit.
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Old 07-05-2016, 10:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by noonereal View Post
Isn't anecdotal evidence non conclusive by definition?

I read this, "Anecdotal evidence concludes that 96% of us are symptom free by 2 years. 99% are symptom free by year 3." and thought, how can anecdotal evidence be conclusive?

Can it be?
At the very least, quoting numerical data to the single percentage point on such basis is 'false precision.' It would be more appropriate to say 'anecdotally, most are symptom-free in two years and nearly all in three.'

Context? I suspect this is an advocate talking, and he's hoping we mainly are impressed by those numbers in the high 90's.

Anecdotal evidence is at best indicative. It's wrong to act like it proves anything. If it's all you've got, it's all you've got, but keep in mind you're on shaky ground then.
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Old 07-05-2016, 11:56 AM
noonereal noonereal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donquixote99 View Post
At the very least, quoting numerical data to the single percentage point on such basis is 'false precision.' It would be more appropriate to say 'anecdotally, most are symptom-free in two years and nearly all in three.'

Context? I suspect this is an advocate talking, and he's hoping we mainly are impressed by those numbers in the high 90's.

Anecdotal evidence is at best indicative. It's wrong to act like it proves anything. If it's all you've got, it's all you've got, but keep in mind you're on shaky ground then.
thanks all, for the replies

This is exactly what I had come up but decided to ask for the case studies that supported these percentages as it could be anecdotal yet not dubious.
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Old 07-05-2016, 04:50 PM
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Every anecdotal case study could be completely accurate in what it reports, but conclusions based on just a few uncontrolled 'data points' are still, inherently, inescapably dubious.

I don't used 'dubious' here to mean any conclusion is 'probably wrong.' I use it to mean no conclusion can be confidently accepted on this basis--one does not know if it is right or wrong.
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Old 07-06-2016, 07:10 AM
noonereal noonereal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donquixote99 View Post
Every anecdotal case study could be completely accurate in what it reports, but conclusions based on just a few uncontrolled 'data points' are still, inherently, inescapably dubious.

I don't used 'dubious' here to mean any conclusion is 'probably wrong.' I use it to mean no conclusion can be confidently accepted on this basis--one does not know if it is right or wrong.
it was some loud mouth talking out their ass as it turns out

thanks again for your thoughts
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Old 07-06-2016, 08:01 AM
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it was some loud mouth talking out their ass as it turns out

thanks again for your thoughts
There's only a billion of those around.

You're welcome.
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