The data story mandate says that if you have questions about a number’s source, you probably shouldn’t use it. But sometimes it’s not even a question; sometimes a data source is just obviously inappropriate.
An ad for online therapy service BetterHelp claims: “I’m fine” is the most told lie in the English language.
BetterHelp’s source for this data claim? Urban Dictionary, the crowdsourced dictionary perhaps most famous for teaching AI bots how to swear. It’s notably not famous for collecting or reporting any type of data.
Further digging reveals the originator of this claim is Urban Dictionary user Pig In A Wig. It’s not clear if Pig In A Wig is a data expert. It is clear this statement is conjecture masquerading as data, along the lines of “she gave it 110%” or “you snore louder than anyone on earth.”
But it shouldn’t take digging to know that BetterHelp shouldn’t have repeated this “data” or that readers shouldn’t believe it. It’s an absurd source making an absurd claim. If a data source just doesn’t look right, don’t repeat it.
What’s the most absurd data source you’ve seen lately? Post it in the comments below or on LinkedIn. And if you want good data delivered to your inbox, subscribe here.