Who coined this statement?

[MyOld85MG]

Xiphos has the signature "The plural of anecdote is NOT data".

I have searched the web and found a few variations on this, but no original attribution.

"The plural of anecdote is not 'evidence'."
"The plural of anecdote is not 'fact'."

Does anyone know where it comes from?

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

I do not know, but I first heard it on Dr. Dean Edell's radio program about 10 years ago.

[Tinker Grey]

This web site (http://www.vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=86&page=4) claims that one Michael Quear, a technocrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The site gives no reference though.

This one (http://www.sysprog.net/quotdata.html) says Frank Kotsonis (looks lie a more reliable site). This site agrees: http://www.clarity.net/~adam/quotes.html

Haven't found a date, though.

There seem to be several Frank Kotsonises. I'd guess its the one who does research on aspartame.

This guy (http://liberaldesert.blogspot.com/2002_11_01_liberaldesert_archive.html) claims that Senator Moynihan said it over a decade ago, and that it shows up periodically in the congressional record. But, he doesn't know if it was Moynihan's original thought or not.

However, Moynihan's saying was the opposite: The plural of anecdote is data.

This site (http://www.keypress.com/fathom/quotes.html) attributes it to Roger Brinner.

The skeptic report agrees.

The earliest date for the negative form (not data) seems to be 1999.

I would guess the positive form has been around been around longer and is what Earl Snake-Hips Tucker recalls which also corresponds with Moynihan site. Then, scientists got pissy about it and started using the negative form, written down in the last 5-6 yrs.

The Brinner sites look better than the Kotsonis sites. Both Brinner and Kotsonis appear to be associated with medical research (Brinner with immunology).

Nobody has dates.

HTH

Tinker

[Tinker Grey]

hmm ... this page http://drugandhealthinfo.org/page05.php?ID=19 appears to site Martin Gardener in SKEPTICAL INQUIRER May/June 1999 p 13 as siting Dr. Herb Kleber of the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

This page http://www.thesafetyvalve.com/archives/000080.html says its Howard Fienberg ... but I'm not gonna try and figure out who that is.

OK ... I'm done.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

I didn't make my point very clear. Dr. Dean said it, but was quoting someone else that he had heard say it. I do not recall that person's name.