Cox D R, Efron Bradley
Nuffield College, Oxford, UK.
Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Sci Adv. 2017 Jun 14;3(6):e1700768. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700768. eCollection 2017 Jun.
Statistical science provides a wide range of concepts and methods for studying situations subject to unexplained variability. Such considerations enter fields ranging from particle physics and astrophysics to genetics, sociology and economics, and beyond; to associated areas of application such as engineering, agriculture, and medicine, in particular in clinical trials. Successful application hinges on absorption of statistical thinking into the subject matter and, hence, depends strongly on the field in question and on the individual investigators. It is the job of theoretical statisticians both to be alive to the challenges of specific applications and, at the same time, to develop methods and concepts that, with good fortune, will be broadly applicable.
统计科学提供了广泛的概念和方法，用于研究存在无法解释的变异性的情况。此类考量涉及从粒子物理、天体物理到遗传学、社会学和经济学等众多领域，乃至更广泛的领域；还涉及相关应用领域，如工程学、农业和医学，尤其是在临床试验方面。成功应用取决于将统计思维融入主题内容，因此，很大程度上取决于所涉领域以及各个研究人员。理论统计学家的职责不仅在于敏锐地应对特定应用的挑战，同时还要开发有望广泛适用的方法和概念。
