Skip Navigation

Biometrika 1966 53(3-4):559-564; doi:10.1093/biomet/53.3-4.559
© 1966 by Biometrika Trust
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by MEAD, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

A quick method of estimating the standard deviation

R. MEAD

National Vegetable Research Station Wellesbourne, Warwick *

In experimental work it is often necessary to measure the variation, between individuals from a single population, of some quantity y. The standard method is to measure yi for each individual in a sample of n and to estimate {sigma}2, the variance of the population, by s2={Sigma}(yi–)2/(n–1). Often the business of measuring y is complicated and time-consuming, and yet to obtain an accurate estimate of {sigma} a fairly large sample must be used for each population. In this paper an alternative estimate s' is discussed, for which the weighing of individuals is replaced by estimated ranking of the individuals, with the weighing of group of individuals. The efficiency of s' is compared with that for other quick eatimates of {sigma} based on order statistics.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.