Correlation is not causation (or, when not to scream “Eureka!”)
T. Menzies North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
Abstract
When we stumble onto some pattern in the data, it is so tempting to send a Eureka! text to the business users. This is a natural response that stems from the excitement of doing science and discovering an effect that no one has ever seen before. Here’s my warning: don’t do it. At least, don’t do it straight away.
Keywords
Correlation; Causation; Data science
What Not to Do
Legend has it that Archimedes once solved a problem sitting in his bathtub. ...
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