You know you are statistically illiterate when…

Sorry,  I had to point out this quote from Stephen Curry’s blog in its full glory, but it was too long to tweet.

So consider all that we know of impact factors and think on this: if you use impact factors you are statistically illiterate.

• If you include journal impact factors in the list of publications in your cv, you are statistically illiterate.
• If you are judging grant or promotion applications and find yourself scanning the applicant’s publications, checking off the impact factors, you are statistically illiterate.
• If you publish a journal that trumpets its impact factor in adverts or emails, you are statistically illiterate. (If you trumpet that impact factor to three decimal places, there is little hope for you.)
• If you see someone else using impact factors and make no attempt at correction, you connive at statistical illiteracy.

The stupid, it burns. Do you feel the heat?

*Applause*

See the full post here.