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Odds ratios give researchers eye-catching (and media-catching) results. They also rely on readers’ confusion about what they mean. They’re becoming fashionable in research and in media precisely because they are so eye-catching, but don’t be fooled by a weak finding dressed up to look like a strong one. Here’s a quick primer on how odds ratios work.
Let’s say I publish a book. Just for fun, let’s call the book America’s Cupcake Scourge.