Deirdre McCloskey and Stephen Ziliak have graciously replied to my essay titled “Ziliak and McCloskey on Statistical Significance: An Assessment.” Only a few of McCloskey and Ziliak’s extensive criticisms are valid or partially valid, and these relate to points that can readily be dropped...

Stephen Ziliak and D. N. McCloskey have sharply criticized the prevailing use of significance tests. Their work has, in turn, come under vigorous attack. The vehemence of the debate may induce readers to wrongly dismiss it as a “he said-she said” debate, or else to take sides in an unbending...