Course Technology--InfoWeb: Lie: Don't Do It With Statistics or Graphs

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Lie: Don't Do It With Statistics or Graphs

You should avoid the temptation to tell tall tales with statistics. Find out how with the video How Numbers Lie: Self-Defense Against Misleading Statistics (1996). If you need to brush up on statistics, head for nilesonline.com/stats, where you'll find an entertaining tutorial. The updated 1954 classic, How to Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff, (W W Norton & Co, 1993) is still a "must read." For information on creating effective and truthful graphs, read The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward R. Tufte (Graphics Press, 1992).

Additional Links

CLB Interview with Edward R. Tufte If you're not willing to take our word that Tufte's books are must-reads, read this Computer Literacy Bookshops interview that profiles Tufte's ideas and work.

Pitfalls of Data Analysis Using examples from medicine, education, and industry, Clay Helberg, M.S., discusses the tendency to use statistics improperly, from overlooked apsects of data analysis to being more concerned about supporting your own viewpoint.