Brian Tarran, Significance Editor

Regular readers of Significance may have already noticed things look a little different. To coincide with the start of a new volume, both the print and online magazine underwent a major redesign recently.

While many readers will subscribe to the notion—put forward by Bill Gates in the mid-1990s—that “content is king,” the editorial staff thought it was time for a bolder, more eye-catching design that would capture the attention of as wide of an audience as possible.

Significance was a unique proposition when it launched more than a decade ago, and it remains so. Its purpose is to entertain and inform, to demonstrate the importance of statistical thinking, and to explain the contributions statistics makes to our understanding of key issues and the role it plays in society. Our content is meant to be read by, and have relevance to, statisticians and other data professionals, but our goal is to reach beyond these communities as well. Half of that battle involves capturing people’s attention, which—in a world awash with news and information sources—is no easy feat.

From our masthead on down, we have taken on a new design, yet we continue to publish the same content subscribers have enjoyed reading for the past 12 years. Online, it’s largely business as usual, but the magazine content is now arranged into the following three main sections:

• In Brief serves as a window to the world of statistics, while offering a perspective on the wider world as seen through the lens of statistics. Here, readers will find a mix of news, analysis, and new regular features, including “Statistically Speaking,” which seeks to challenge published claims and misuses of statistics, and “Ask a Statistician,” where the public has a chance to ask questions of statistical experts.
• In Detail offers a deeper dive into topical issues. Citizen science, the human sex ratio, and peer review are discussed in our February issue, while future issues will feature our regular mix of sports, politics, and business-related articles.
• In Practice is an entirely new section devoted to explaining how statistical tools and methods are applied, as well profiling statisticians and the work they do. A recent issue includes an overview of the use of screening tools designed to catch illegal business cartels and an interview with AIG’s chief data scientist.

However you choose to read Significance—whether online or in print—members of the editorial staff hope you love what you find within.