This document provides 3 questions to consider when evaluating statistics: 1. Can you see uncertainties in the data? 2. Can you see yourself or your experiences represented in the data? 3. How was the data collected? It is important to understand the process used to gather the data as much as the data itself. Proper data collection methods help ensure statistics are trustworthy.

1. 3 WAYS TO SPOT
A BAD STATISTIC
- MONA CHALABI

2. Sometimes it’s hard to know
what statistics are worthy of
trust.
2

3. Understand what
the numbers are
saying.
3

4. About 4 out of 10
Americans distrust
the economic data
that gets reported by
government.

5. “Statistics come from
state, that’s where they
got their name.
 Better measure the
population to better serve
it.
5

6. Don’t blindly
acccept or reject
6

7. Q1. Can you see
uncertanity?
7

8. Q2. Can we see
us in the data?
8

9. 9
This
points to
AVERAGES

10. Q3. How was the data collected?
10
 THE WAY DATA COLLECTED
MATTERS AS MUCH AS DATA
COMMUNICATION.
 BUT THIS IS OPAQUE , TOUGH
AND BORING.

11. Private companies don’t have
a huge interest in getting the
numbers right, which is not
the case with that of the
Government ones.

12. 12
DON’T JUST
COUNT THE
STATS
ALTOGETHER,
INSTEAD, LEARN
TO LOOK BEHIND
THEM.

13. 13

14. “
14

15. 15
PRESENTED BY:
PRINCE BARAI
DATA ANALYST INTERN AT IIM,LUCKNOW