Guide to statistics on social media

Statistics and data are crucial for understanding the world around us, and claims using statistics and data are shared frequently online. However, there is a risk that they can be misused or misinterpreted.

We have produced a guide to help people think critically about the figures they come across on social media, including assessing whether figures are trustworthy or require some further investigation.

The guide covers the key questions to ask, including what the source of the statistics is, how the statistics and data are described, and how they are presented graphically.

We provide topical examples to illustrate common issues, including ‘cherry-picking’ (selective reporting), oversimplification, differentiating between causation and correlation, and misleading graphics. We also include tips on how to ‘sense check’ figures in the fast-paced social media environment.

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