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Advanced · 3 min

Make comparisons that mean the same thing

Comparing communities requires attention to definitions and context. A measure of household may count residents differently across studies. A difference in reported averages could partly reflect those definitions. Check the unit, method, and setting before treating a numerical gap as evidence of a social difference. Describe limits instead of ranking whole communities from one measure.

Practice

What should you check before comparing household-size averages from two studies?