I found this article on Facebook (of all places).  I really like it because I think it does an excellent job of explaining the misuse and abuse of data and statistics.  I think this makes it clear why it is necessary for everyone, not just researchers to have some idea of what basic statistics mean and to read everything with a critical and questioning eye.

In particular this report talks about how it can be misleading when averages are used to compare two groups which each have a lot of variation within them.  One of my favourite lines is “Its report states that, on average, “growth in real per capita incomes in RTW states is substantially higher than both the national average and non-RTW states.”³ This statement is statistically true, but only in the same way that it’s true that if Bill Gates walks into a bar, everyone in the bar is suddenly, on average, a multimillionaire. ”

It also addresses that oldie but goodie – the fallacy that correlation implies causation.

I have provided the website below but the charts referred to in the article seem only to be available in the PDF version (which is also available at this link).

What’s wrong with ‘right-to-work’: Chamber’s numbers don’t add up | Economic Policy Institute.

Let me know what you think!