Accidental bias

Analysis of covariance. In the context of clinical trials, a statistical technique used for taking account of the effect of various prognostic factors on the outcome observed, with a view to obtaining a more precise estimate of the effect of the treatment itself or in order to account for accidental bias. It is more general than post-stratification and... 

A unique example of observation of tunneling splitting is given by Oppenlander et al. [1989]. Upon replacing the host benzoic acid dimer by a thioindigo molecule of nearly the same size, the resulting bias accidentally turns out to be small, of order of A. The 4x4 Hamiltonian of the complex of two dimers and the guest molecule is... 

Water-sensitive papers are readily available in most countries and provide a convenient system for visually assessing spray drift performance. These papers are coated with bromoethyl blue, which turns from yellow to blue when contacted with water. " However, since any water can cause this change in color, care needs to be taken to prevent accidental exposure to sources of water other than the pesticide. Such cards do not work well under humid conditions, and are not appropriate for sampling droplets with diameter below 15 qm. Quantitative estimates of droplet size distributions must take account of the exponential increase in droplet volume as the droplet diameter increases. As droplets strike the paper, the liquid spreads over the surface and leaves a stain with a size that is dependent on the volume of the droplet. The apparent droplet size will be greater for large droplets than for small droplets, and the size determination must be corrected to avoid bias. 

Why do these sorts of inventories result Are they in any sense inevitable What are the reasons for bias, exaggeration and distortion To make sense of questions such as these, one must understand that the inventory is not, of course, a simple sort of stock-taking into which some errors might accidentally creep from time to time. Built into the very nature of deviance, inventories in modern society are elements of fantasy, selective misperception and the deliberate creation of news. The inventory is not reflective stock-taking but manufactured news. 

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