PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988-2001 6 Ranks are statistics: some advice for their interpretation

Document begins: PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988­2001 6 Ranks are statistics: some advice for their interpretation William J. Fielding, Janet Riley & Ben A.Oyejola · Summary ranking should not be "an end in itself", the impression from recent literature is that Ranking is commonly used by researchers to rankings are considered a very important tool obtain farmers' assessments of a project. and are frequently used. However, the Ranks can be obtained directly through farmer statistical aspects of ranks seem to have been responses or indirectly by classifying collected largely ignored and training manuals on PRA data. This article results from examination of a are almost totally devoid of statistical aspects number of training manuals and papers which of ranking. This seems to have resulted in rank consider or use ranking methods in PRA. We order being accepted at face value. are concerned that the original use of ranking methods in PRA has become replaced by an How to rank increasing reliance upon ranks for decision making. This change in emphasis requires Irrespective of the method used (direct matrix, practitioners to be aware of the limitations of preference, wealth ranking etc.), the literature ranking so that justifiable decisions can be indicates that ...