Evaluating Data and Infographics
Creators of online information also frequently present data and statistics as evidence. Many people erroneously believe that data are always neutral and meaningful. Creators of online information can manipulate and present data textually and visually to support their false claims. As you do with text and images, you need to investigate data through lateral reading before accepting it as valid evidence.
Questions to ask when evaluating data and infographics (ex. charts, graphs, diagrams):
- does this data actually support the claim?
- what is the source of the data and is it reliable?
- is there actual data behind the representation in the infographic?
- does the data in the infographic support its conclusion fairly?