From the descriptive towards inferential statistics: Hundred years since conception of the Student´s t-distribution

This distribution was derived by W.S.Gosset („Student“) from the Gaussian normal distribution for lower sample sizes. Gosset needed for his practice at the famous Irish brewery Guinness to know what is the true error of four measurements. He realized the standard deviation (SD) is not suitable because it has its own error, too. His t-distribution allows to proceed from mere sample decscription using + - SD towards inferential population prediction by confidence and tolerance intervals. Regrettably, some Western „main stream“ journals, not to mention those domestic ones, continue up today in the practice from the XIXth century – the presenting of the results with mean and SD.

Neuroeudcrinol Lett 2005, 26 (3):167-172.