Writing

Statistical forensics.

How to verify the numbers in a published paper — the methods, their limits, and the discipline of separating proof from suspicion.

04 AUG 2026 · 4 MIN READ

An impossible number is usually a typo

Why statistical-forensics tools must separate proof from suspicion, what the base rates actually look like, and how to raise an inconsistency with authors without accusing them.

29 JUL 2026 · 4 MIN READ

statcheck, GRIM, GRIMMER, SPRITE — a field guide

What each statistical-forensics method actually proves, what it needs as input, where it fails, and which combination is worth running on a given paper.

21 JUL 2026 · 4 MIN READ

How to check the statistics in a paper

A practical checklist for reviewers, editors and researchers — the five checks that catch most reporting errors, what each one requires, and how long they take.

08 JUL 2026 · 4 MIN READ

The GRIM test, explained

How a single line of arithmetic can prove that a reported mean is impossible — with a worked example, the exact conditions under which it applies, and where it goes wrong.

FREE TOOL

GRIM test calculator

Is a reported mean possible for its sample size?

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GRIMMER test calculator

Is a reported standard deviation possible?

Run all seven checks on a real paper

Statlint runs statcheck, GRIM, GRIMMER, SPRITE bounds, descriptive recomputation, digit analysis and the Carlisle baseline test in a single pass — free, no signup.

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