MEANING
Repeatedly testing many patterns in data until apparently significant results emerge, without adequate prior specification or adjustment.
Use it for
Use when many data patterns are tested and only apparently significant ones are emphasized.Signal how unplanned searching can turn chance patterns into misleading claims.
Words that belong together
- data dredging in a dataset
- data-dredging bias
- guard against data dredging
On the page
The authors warned that the striking correlation might reflect data dredging rather than a prespecified prediction.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- data dredging
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Usage notes
Exploratory analysis is not automatically improper; the concern is presenting post hoc findings as prespecified or ignoring the risks of many tests.
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