Are The Statistics Deceptive?

Question 1

Clues for Assessing Statistics

Answer 1

1. Try to find out as much as you can about how the statistics were obtained.
2. Be curious about the type of average being described.
3. Be alert to users of statistics concluding one thing, but proving another.
4. Blind yourself to the writer’s statistics and compare the needed statistical evidence with the statistics actually provided.
5. Form your own conclusion from the statistics. If it doesn’t match the author’s conclusion, then something is probably wrong.
6. Determine what information is missing. Be especially alert for misleading numbers and percentages for missing comparisons