Statistical literacy: Thinking critically about statistics

Statistical literacy is the ability to read and interpret data: the ability to use statistics as evidence in arguments. Statistical literacy is a competency: the ability to think critically about statistics. This introduction defines statistical literacy as a science of method, compares statistical literacy with traditional statistics and reviews some of the elements in reading and interpreting statistics. It gives more emphasis to observational studies than to experiments and thus to using associations to support claims about causation.