Why Use Statistics?
What can statistics do for you?
Thing you need to consider:
Searching For Statistics
Tips for finding statistics:
Keywords to add to topic search(es):
Including statistics in your writing:
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab provides an excellent handout which explains how to write with statistics including quick tips, writing descriptive statistics, writing inferentials statistics,and using visual with statistics.
Evaluating Statistics
Consider the following elements when evaluating statistics.
Elements | Questions to ask yourself |
Authority | Who is the author? What are their qualifications? |
Date | Is your data intended to be historical or current? Search accordingly. |
Purpose | Who is the intended audience? Is the data clearly represented? |
Content | Is the data accurate? How can it be verified? Is bias apparent? |
Coverage | What is the sample size of the study? |
Presentation | Has the data been republished by a secondary/private entity? Ex: Government data repackaged for brevity. |
Data Source | If the data is from a secondary source, is it properly documented so one can find primary source? |
Wolfram | Alpha Search
Wolfram | Alpha introduces a fundamentally new way to get knowledge and answers, not by searching the web, but by doing dynamic computations based on a vast collection of built-in data, algorithms, and methods. Try this search "Lubbock County vs. Travis County" and see the results!
Statistics About The United States