College and University Blog
Using Statistics to Prove Your Point
You may decide to use statistics in your research for any number of reasons. When you use and present statistics, be sure they do the following:
- come from a reliable source
- accurately describe what they are intended to describe
- minimize the opportunity for misinterpretation
- add to the evidence of your report and support your conclusions.
Statistics are often easier to locate using print sources than the Internet. This is especially true if you are trying to locate older data, general numbers (as opposed to a specific piece of information), or the same set of statistics for multiple locations. Print sources have a number of other advantages over the Internet. They are:
- Stable
- Easy to use
- Easy to cite
A problem with Internet research is that data providers tend to create information that they post temporarily. This means that the information you’re looking at doesn’t really exist anyplace but on your computer screen. If you cite a web address in your paper, others might not be able to find the information if it is temporary. Seeing