What is the appropriate sigma value for statistical significance?

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SUMMARY

The appropriate sigma value for statistical significance in a project involving 120,000 sources is critical for determining the validity of results. A 3 sigma threshold corresponds to a 0.27% chance of occurrence by random chance, which may not be stringent enough for many analyses. Recommendations suggest considering a 5 sigma threshold, equating to a 1 in 1,000,000 chance, for more robust significance. Utilizing resources like Wikipedia and WolframAlpha can provide necessary tables and insights for comparing sigma values with probabilities of random occurrence.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of normal distribution and its properties
  • Familiarity with statistical significance concepts
  • Knowledge of sigma levels in statistical analysis
  • Basic proficiency in using statistical tools or software
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of using a 5 sigma threshold in statistical analysis
  • Learn how to interpret normal distribution tables from Wikipedia
  • Explore WolframAlpha for statistical queries and visualizations
  • Study the concept of p-values and their relationship to sigma levels
USEFUL FOR

Statisticians, data analysts, researchers, and anyone involved in projects requiring rigorous statistical validation of results.

leonmate
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I'm working on a project where I have about 120,000 sources and my supervisor has told me to work out what significance to use for taking results.

I had set it at 3 sigma. But there's roughly 1 in 500 chance that we will get a 3 sigma result by chance.

I've been looking for a table to compare the sigma with probability of random occurrence, but I don't think I'm typing the right thing into google or something because I can't find what I'm after!

Also, any recommendations on what I should be going for would be great, 1 in 1,000,000 chance? more or less? I'm not really sure what I should do here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, my understanding of statistics is lacking :(
 
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What do you mean with 120,000 sources?
What what is the "significance to use for taking results"? Why don't you look at the distribution of deviations, and see if it agrees with the expectations?

For normal distributions, wikipedia has a table,and WolframAlpha also understands the concept.
 

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