A lot can go wrong when communicating data and statistics. Here is what to watch out for:
Data Visualization
Distorting the Scale
Wrong Causality
Hiding Context
Cherry picking
Simpson’s Paradox
Learn more by watching the videos below:
Bad statistics are everywhere online, especially on social media. Graphs, charts and statistical data can often be misleading or outright false. It's important for readers to determine for themselves if the data looks legit. According to the Data Journalism Handbook, there are three questions one should ask themselves when viewing a statistic:
1.) How was the data collected?
2.) What's in there to learn?
3.) How reliable is the information?
Learn more by watching the Ted Talk clip below for information on the three ways to spot a bad statistic.