Narrative descriptions of results can exaggerate what the data shows

Evidence

Researchers always include written descriptions of the pertinent aspects of tables and graphs. While reading these descriptions, check the tables and graphs to make sure what the researchers say accurately reflects their data. If they say there was a difference between two groups on a particular dependent measure, look at the means in the table that correspond to those two groups, and see if the means do differ as described. Occasionally, results seem to become stronger in their narrative description than an examination of the data would warrant. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4572

Categorization

• SEED: Angle: a guide to spotting ‘narrative inflation’ in research papers by comparing prose claims against raw table means.
• QUESTION: How common is this discrepancy between narrative strength and actual data magnitude across disciplines? Worth chasing.
• XREF: connects to: the MOC “The Enemy-Making Machine: How Ourselves, the True, and Every Other Are Built from War”