1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910811424603321

Autore

Best Joel

Titolo

Damned lies and statistics [[electronic resource] ] : untangling numbers from the media, politicians, and activists / / Joel Best

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Berkeley, Calif., : University of California Press, c2012

ISBN

1-283-59446-3

9786613906915

0-520-95351-7

Edizione

[Updated ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (218 p.)

Disciplina

303.3/8

303.38

Soggetti

Social indicators

Social problems - Statistical methods

Sociology - Statistical methods

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- PREFACE TO THE UPDATED EDITION -- INTRODUCTION. The Worst Social Statistic Ever -- 1. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL STATISTICS -- 2. SOFT FACTS: Sources of Bad Statistics -- 3. MUTANT STATISTICS: Methods for Mangling Numbers -- 4. APPLES AND ORANGES: Inappropriate Comparisons -- 5. STAT WARS: Conflicts over Social Statistics -- 6. THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL STATISTICS: The Critical Approach -- Afterword. BAD STATISTICS: WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? -- NOTES -- INDEX

Sommario/riassunto

Here, by popular demand, is the updated edition to Joel Best's classic guide to understanding how numbers can confuse us. In his new afterword, Best uses examples from recent policy debates to reflect on the challenges to improving statistical literacy. Since its publication ten years ago, Damned Lies and Statistics has emerged as the go-to handbook for spotting bad statistics and learning to think critically about these influential numbers.