Assigning scores to trees is one thing – selecting a winner based on these scores is another matter altogether. By publishing the judges’ scores from the 2015 Artisans Cup, Ryan and Chelsea Neil shed light on a process that doesn’t get as much notice as it deserves – the process by which exhibited trees are recognized as prize-winners.
As this is one of the first times numbers have been associated with bonsai in such a high-profile event, the scores have received a lot of attention. Taken individually, they offer a glimpse of how the judges regarded the bonsai on display. Taken as a whole, the scores provide data that can help us address judging-related topics in our own exhibits.
The scores have also raised a lot of questions. How can one best tabulate the results? How can one compare scores across judges? What are the relationships between different judges’ scores? Which judges had the biggest overall effect on the results?
One visitor to the Artisans Cup, bonsai enthusiast Dan Yamins, set about answering these questions. Dan analyzed the scores and produced a report with his findings (see below).
I find the report fascinating. It does a great job of describing the approach taken by the Cup and makes a strong case for enhancements. It also takes a close look at each judges’ scores and their relationships to other judges’ scores.
Figure 4: Distribution of judges’ scores.
Read the report now – here are the links:
- Analysis of Results from the 2015 Artisans Cup by Dan Yamins
- Normalized scores: tab delimited (csv, Excel)
Related:
- Analyzing the Artisans Cup: Evolving Methodologies for Judging Bonsai from the Artisans Cup
- The results are in! Official scores from the Artisans Cup
- Artisans Cup Event program (PDF)
