Many factors influence the meaning of a
statistic. But the TV and newspaper
don't always provide any more
information than the final result. So what can you do?
1. Read more about the
statistics in journal articles. You can
usually find these articles at a
university library or in online academic databases. Unfortunately,
many online databases charge expensive membership fees. Search the
following sites for free:
- Google Scholar
-
Search peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and books from all academic
disciplines.
- National Center for Biotechnology
Information
- Search the National Center for Biotechnoloy Information's public health
databases.
- HighWire Press
- Search peer-reviewed scholarly content provided by Stanford
University's Libraries.
2. To some extent, looking for articles on your own can prove
unrealistically time-consuming and expensive. The most important idea to
take away from this section is not to automatically change your life for a
single number. Consider the scientific validity of the research finding,
then determine its meaning in your life.
Next Section :
PROBABILITY
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