In presenting data that result from an experiment, a group of students show that most of their measurements fall on a straight diagonal line on their graph. However, two of their data points are "outliers" and fall far to one side of the expected relationship. What should they do?
A) Do not show these points but write a footnote that the graph represents the correct data.
B) Average several trials and therefore rule out the improbable results.
C) Show all results obtained and then try to explore the reason(s) for these outliers.
D) Throw out this set of data and try again.
E) Change the details of the experiment until they can obtain the expected results.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Showing all obtained results is important in presenting data so that others can see the full picture, even if it includes outliers. Exploring the reasons for these outliers can also provide insight into any possible errors in the experiment or variables that were not accounted for. Simply ignoring or throwing out these points can lead to a biased or incomplete interpretation of the data. Averaging several trials or changing the experiment details are not appropriate solutions in this case.

In Presenting Data That Result from an Experiment, a Group