Skip to main content
header search
ahihi OpenLearn
OpenLearn
Menu
sticky search
Author: Katie Chicot, Kaustubh Adhikari, Kevin McConway
  • Video
  • 10 minutes

Trusting Statistics in Today’s News

Updated Monday, 17 May 2021
With so many contradictory statistics in the news, how do you know which COVID-19 stats are accurate? Who can you trust?

This page was published over 5 years ago. Please be aware that due to the passage of time, the information provided on this page may be out of date or otherwise inaccurate, and any views or opinions expressed may no longer be relevant. Some technical elements such as audio-visual and interactive media may no longer work. For more detail, see how we deal with older content.

In this panel discussion, Dr Katie Chicot hosts statisticians Dr Kaustubh Adhikari & Professor Kevin McConway who explain when you can and can’t trust statistics. The discussion will cover important questions you should ask yourself about the statistics in front of you: Who produced the statistics? Why are they showing me this? Has the work been verified?

 

PDF document Transcript 204.5 KB

Free courses

  • Exploring data: Graphs and numerical summaries

    This free course, Exploring data: graphs and numerical summaries, will introduce you to a number of ways of representing data graphically and of summarising data numerically. You will learn the uses for pie charts, bar charts, histograms and scatterplots. You will also be introduced to various ways of summarising data and methods for assessing ...

    Learn more to access more details of Exploring data: Graphs and numerical summaries
    Exploring data: Graphs and numerical summaries
 

Become an OU student

Author

Ratings & Comments

Share this free course

Copyright information

Skip Rate and Review

Rate and Review

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

Have a question?

Share this video