Statistics

It is important to understand statistics

It is important to understand the MEANING of statistics

By that I mean, when you are using statistics
it is necessary to understand what any statistic means

Use and Misuse of Statistics

It is important to understand:

why people are using statistics
how people are using statistics
what the statistics user thinks their statistics mean.

It is important to understand the possibility of errors:

in collection
in the analysis
in the ways the statistics are used / employed.

It is important to understand the limitations of the statistics.

It is crucial to understand what the statistics are trying to explain
What is the explanatory power of these statistics?
Do they add to the analysis?
In what way?
On what do they elaborate?

I am about to provide you with a statistic.

I want you to immediately tell me whether the statistic is correct or not.

Speed is of the essence.

Most people have more than the
average number of legs per person.

The statement is correct…

because few if any people have more than two legs
and many people have lost one or more legs
so that the average number of legs is less than two
and most people have two legs.