Reflective questions for Damned Lies and Statistics

Damned Lies and Statistics discusses a number of factors that impact the ways in which quantitative research is conducted, disseminated, and ultimately interpreted by researchers and consumers (e.g., readers of journal and newspaper articles). In what ways are the arguments raised in this book "bigger" than the simple misuse and/or misunderstanding of statistics by researchers and consumers? How might the arguments raised in the book connect with bigger themes/issues pertaining to the research (both quantitative and qualitative) process and the dissemination of knowledge? Discuss.

What does the book suggest to you regarding your responsibilities as a potential researcher/knowledge producer (and yes, your dissertation still counts as "knowledge production")? Reflect on this and discuss.

Describe how you see your role, as an educated person, where it comes to helping those without your background in statistics to understand research findings?

The author makes the claim that the ways in which things are measured "counts" when it comes to conducting statistical analyses and, ultimately, the way that statistics are interpreted. Reflect on and discuss what you perceive to be the main points the author addresses in relation to this topic. What insights did you arrive at?

How does the author address the issue of "sampling" in the book? Reflect on and discuss what you perceive to be the main points? What insights did you arrive at?

**Keep direct quotes from the text to an absolute minimum. Any quotes you use from the text MUST include a citation. Also, DO NOT include text from other sources when writing your paper. This is about your thoughts and ideas after reading.