The following scans are intended to be a resource for classes like Bluffton's Understanding Numerical Data, in which we try (among other things) to recognize when data are presented poorly, carelessly, or misleadingly (either accidentally or intentionally).

  • This ad for Chevy trucks (added 9/6/2001) appeared on the back cover of a Time magazine in 1992. I could only get a low-quality scan from a microfiche printout, so this is a reproduction of the original graph.
  • This advertisement for a home security system company appeared in a Sunday newspaper in spring of '94 or '95.
  • This graph was sent in a mailing soliciting investors in GE Interest Plus.
  • This graph appeared on the front page of Investor's Business Daily.
  • This flyer, advertising a brand of breast pump, was distributed at a conference promoting breastfeeding.
    • A closeup of the utterly meaningless bar graph in the flyer.

I invite others with similar examples to submit them to me (scanned in JPEG format, if possible). See the contact information on my home page to get in touch with me.