Joel Best

02/05/12

Joel Best identifies what is essential about numbers or statistics:

Every statistic is socially constructed in the most operational sense of that term.
The social construction of statistics does not imply malevolence, negligence or even opportunism.
The social construction of statistics goes beyond chance, bias and confounding.
Seeing that all statistics are socially constructed is essential to being statistically literate.

Professor Best is concerned about the future of statistical literacy in higher education.
To see why, read the final chapter -- Toward Statistical Literacy -- in "More Damned Lies and Statistics".

Papers on Statistical Literacy:

Birds -- Dead and Dying: Why Numeracy Needs to Address Social Construction by Joel Best (2008), Numeracy, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Article 6.
Abstract: Sociologists use the term social construction to refer to the processes by which people assign meaning to their world. This paper argues that numeracy education needs to address social construction. In particular, thinking critically about the statistics the news media report regarding social issues requires understanding the competitive nature of the social problems marketplace, and the social forces that allow questionable numbers to receive widespread public attention. Such critiques must incorporate more than assessing how the numbers were calculated; they must consider the social construction of particular statistics. Two recent examples—claims about the number of birds killed flying into windows, and warnings about the threat of an avian flu pandemic—are presented to illustrate the need to incorporate social construction into numeracy education.
Including Construction in Quantitative Literacy by Joel Best, 3/2007, Midwest Sociological Society
People Count: The Social Construction of Statistics by Joel Best, 11/2002 Talk at Augsburg College. More on future of Statistical Literacy.
People Count: The Social Construction of Statistics by Joel Best, 8/2002 ASA JSM

Telling the Truth About Damned Lies and Statistics by Joel Best, 5/2001 Chronicle of Higher Education Print version

Other Books

Social Problems by Joel Best (2007) "a complete set of tools for analyzing any social problem. Best helps readers think carefully about how activists, experts, and their opponents frame social problems through the logic that they use, the rhetoric of claims-making, and the ways that access to resources determines who gets their claims heard. In order to help students connect theory to everyday life, the text includes colorful examples and case studies from the real world."
Flavor of the Month: Why Smart People Fall for Fads by Joel Best (2006). "this book focuses on ... the institutional fad. Institutional fads occur in business, education, government, and medicine whenever normally rational people embrace novel solutions just because they are the latest, greatest thing. Since the definition of a fad is something that catches on and then quickly fades away, these passing solutions waste a lot of resources and can even leave damage in their wake. Some institutional fads that may not be all they were cracked up to be include multiple-personality-disorder diagnoses, business management systems such as Six Sigma, and the No Child Left Behind program. Best examines the life cycle and dynamics of fads and suggests some basic adages for becoming "fad-proof," such as "remember last time." David Siegfried

Joel Best is dedicated to improving basic undergraduate skills: 1. Read and evaluate difficult material. 2. Locate and evaluate good information 3. Organize ideas 4. Communicate clearly in writing 5. Communicate clearly orally. For more information on Dr. Best, check out his website: www.JoelBest.net

Stat Spotting (9/2008)
A Field Guide to Identifying Dubious Data

1: Getting Started
A. Spotting questionable numbers B. Background (B1 Statistical Benchmarks, B2 Severity and Frequency)
2: Varieties of dubious Data
     C. Blunders: C1. The slippery decimal point, C2. Blotched transactions, C3. Misleading graphs, C4. Careless calculations
     D. Sources: who counted and why?  D1. Big round numbers, D2. Hyperbole,   D3. Shocking claims    D4. Naming the problem
     E. Definitions, what did they count?  E1. Broad definitions, E2. Expanding definitions, E3. Changing the definitions, E4. The uncounted.
     F. Measurements: how did they count? F1. Creating measures, F2. Odd units of analysis, F3. Loaded questions,
                                                           F4. Raising the Bar,       F5. Technical measures.
     G. Packaging: what are they telling us? G1. Impressive formats,    G2. Misleading samples,       G3. Convenient time frames
                                                           G4. Peculiar Percentages, G5. Selective comparisons, G6. Statistical milestones
                                                           G7. Averages, G8. Epidemics, G9. Correlations, G10. Discoveries.
     H. Debates: what if they disagree?    H1. Causality debates, H2. Equality debates, H3. Policy debates.
3: Stat-Spotting on your own
     I. summary; common signs of dubious data
     J. Better data: some characteristics
     K. If you had no idea things were that bad, they probably aren't.
     L. Suggestions for those who want to continue stat-spotting.
Acknowledgements, Notes and Index

Review by Bernie Madison, Univ. of Arkansas: "As we know swim in information, much of it bogus or biased, spotting dubious data is super important. In Stat-Spotting, Joel Best plays off the format of field guides to give readers good commonsense ways not only to sense bad data but also to understand what's wrong. Broken up into short independent sections, the book is easy and enjoyable to read. I will recommend it to my students, and to others, as a resource for critical consumers of numbers."

Review by Neil Lutsky, Carleton college: "Stat-spotting proposes to help readers become more critical consumers of statistical claims. It is an important work that addresses a significant problem in contemporary society: thoughtlessness about numerical claims. Joel Best provides a direct, accessible guide to critical readings of statistics."

Review by Alan Jasper, Graduate Center, City University of New York: "If you ever scan the newspaper, watch the TV news, or surf the blogs, you should read this charming book. If you're a journalist, read it twice."

More Damned Lies and Statistics (8/2004)
How Numbers Confuse Public Issues

Table of Contents
Preface: People Count
Ch 1: Missing Numbers
Ch 2: Confusing Numbers
Ch 3: Scary Numbers
Ch 4: Authoritative Numbers
Ch 5: Magical Numbers
Ch 6: Contentious Numbers
Ch 7: Toward Statistical Literacy

Excerpts (Ch 7):

"Why not consider statistical literacy a skill? But this raises another question: what sort of basic skill is it?" "This competition [between departments] means that teaching basic skills often is devalued." "College instructors are well aware that substantial proportions of students have trouble reading -- let alone thinking critically about -- basic graphs and tables. This is a very important skill because graphs and tables are certain to appear in much of the reading a students will need to do in the course of college. And yet, no one wants to teach this skill, or at least spend much time doing so. Many have the sense that students should already be proficient in these skills when they get to college (even though it is clear that many are not). To many others, it seems to simple, too basic -- a waste of time for professors who would prefer to teach the more advanced topics in their disciplines." "Thus statistic and mathematics instructors are unlikely to have any more interest in teaching statistical literacy than English professors have in teaching first-year composition. Nor are other departments eager to teach this material. I teach sociology courses, but I know that most sociology professors tend to dismiss statistical literacy as "not really sociology"; faculty in psychology and other disciplines probably have the same reaction. Statistical literacy falls between the stools on which academic departments perch." "The lessons involved in teaching statistical literacy are not so terribly difficulty; rather, the difficulty lies in finding someone willing to teach them."

Reviews:

John Allen Paulos: "In More Damned Lies and Statistics, Joel Best provides us with another telling compendium of misleading statistics about a variety of topical issues. His approach to explicating them is lucid, instructive, and quite engaging."

Phillip Jenkins: Through his devastating work on common myths about social problems, Joel Best has established himself as a brilliant observer of our national fads and scares. In his latest book, More Damned Lies and Statistics, Best confronts yet more of the pseudo-statistics by which we are bamboozled day by day. One obvious question comes to mind: if he can deal with highly significant topics in such lucid and enjoyable prose, why can't other social scientists begin to match him?"

Reviews by Augsburg students: " I think that [reading] this [book] makes me a more informed person and one less easily duped. I feel like I am less confused, now, by conflicting claims. It wasn’t a book I would have read outside of class, but I’m glad I did read it."

Damned Lies and Statistics (5/2001)
Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians and Activists

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: The Worst Social Statistic Ever
Ch 1: The Importance of Social Statistics
Ch 2: Soft Facts: Sources of Bad Statistics
Ch 3: Mutant Statistics: Methods for Mangling Numbers
Ch 4: Apples and Oranges: Inappropriate Comparisons
Ch 5: Stat Wars: Conflicts over Social Statistics
Ch 6: Thinking about Social Statistics: The Critical Approach

This site was last updated 02/05/12