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Statistics & Demographics

How to Evaluate Statistical Data

Whenever you are working with statistics, be mindful of the underlying data:

  • Who gathered the data? Why are they gathering it?
  • How did they collect the data? Was the data self-reported?
  • What questions were asked? Did they including leading questions?
  • What is the sample size? Is it large enough to be significant?
  • Who is reporting the data? Why?

Learn more about thinking critically about statistics:

  • Mona Chalabi: 3 Ways to Spot a Bad Statistic: TED talk

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