Reading Stats Honestly

When you meet a statistic, ask five questions:

• Who collected the data?
• How large and representative was the sample?
• Is the number absolute or relative?
• What comparison point or baseline is being used?

The fifth question is the most important, and it comes next.

The fifth question: what is NOT being shown? A company that reports revenue growth might be hiding profit decline. A study that reports benefits might bury side effects in the appendix. The most important information is often what has been deliberately excluded from the presentation.