On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 10:39 AM, Mark Berninghausen <
[log in to unmask]>
​asked:

>
>
> Considering the percentage of beekeepers who don't participate, how can
> any conclusions be accurate or valid?
>
> ​Well, that's the thing about BIP.  They are careful not to make
conclusions.  There are no cause and effect assessments.  Every BIP
presentation I've seen cautions the audience not to jump to conclusions.
BIP collects data and presents it sans results.  Furthermore they
acknowledge up front that the collected data is "dirty", an amusing term.
BIP acknowledges that the data is biased by the beekeepers' assessment of​

​ cause and effect​.  Data would perhaps be cleaner if only effect were
tallied (dead hive) without opinion of effect (starvation, CCD, cold,
critters, cell phones, aliens, ....).  BIP presentations I have seen have
been on the order of "Beekeepers who did X experienced Y"; there has never
been a claim that "X causes Y" or even claims of "X may be strongly (or
weakly) related to Y".  BIP collects and presents numbers.  The numbers are
"dirty" based on beekeeper bias/experience/expertise.  Numbers, yes;
conclusions, no.

So, participate or not?  How much time do you have?  I've probably spent
more time on BEE-L today than I would have spent responding to the BIP
survey, though I hear it is getting quite lengthy.

A few other words about BIP.  I am starting to suffer from survey
overload:  BIP, Catskill Mountain Bee Statastician, Bee Wellness, USDA, NYS
Ag and Markets, to name a few, and I head rumor there are more to come!
The more I receive, the less I am inclined to respond.  I am also impressed
how many respond without being required to register their hives.

Aaron Morris - thinking lies, damned lies, maps and statistics!

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