Testimonials

My group at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required by law to conduct audits of randomly selected facilities. I utilize Random.org for the selection process; the format of the query page is well suited to our needs. Until I found (stumbled upon via Google) your website, the recommended procedure for ‘random selection’ was to go down the list of items selecting every nth one; actually these items are industrial or municipal facilities which store/use more than a minimum quantity of a chemical from a list of 140 chemicals selected for their toxic/flammable and dispersable properties. I found this methodology a statistical embarrassment; Random.org made it acceptable, and defensible, such as when a facility responds ‘why me?’

—Alfred J. Baginski, Chemical Accident Prevention Program, Environmental Protection Agency

I am using the random sequence generator to take a 15% sample of the archaeological potsherds I am studying. More specifically, I am studying the ceramic vessels and fragments collected, over the course of eight years, from an early Spanish colonial town in Central America. The town was occupied for only a generation, so there was minimal change through time in ceramic style. For each excavation unit and level, I analyze all potsherds that include handles, rims, painted decoration, unusual clay characteristics, and the like. These are my diagnostic sherds. The remainder do not provide enough information to make analyzing and recording each one individually worthwhile, but I don't want to neglect them entirely, as in certain contexts they make up a high percentage of what we have. So, I use your random sequence generator to help me select 15% of this non-diagnostic remainder for study. Thank you for the help.

—Jeb J. Card, Department of Anthropology, Tulane University