What Does a Statistical Method Assume? – Statistical Thinking
Sometimes it is unclear exactly what a specific statistical estimator or analysis method is assuming. This is especially true for methods that at first glance appear to be nonparametric when in reality they are semiparametric. This article attempts to explain what it means to make different types of assumptions, and how to tell when a certain type of assumption is being made. It also describes the assumptions made by various commonly used statistical procedures.