CW-301b · Module 2

Handling Conflicting Data

3 min read

Sources disagree. This is not a problem to solve — it is a signal to interpret. When two credible sources report different numbers for the same metric, the discrepancy itself is information. Maybe one source measures differently. Maybe one is outdated. Maybe the metric genuinely varies by context. Your job is not to pick a winner. Your job is to explain why the sources disagree and what the disagreement tells the reader about the reliability of the data.

Do This

  • Report conflicting data with both values, both sources, and your assessment of why they differ
  • Assess source reliability based on methodology transparency, recency, and independence
  • Use ranges when exact values conflict — "market size estimates range from $12B to $18B depending on scope definition"

Avoid This

  • Silently pick the number that supports your thesis and discard the other
  • Average conflicting numbers — an average of two wrong numbers is not a right number
  • Treat the conflict as unresolvable and omit the data point entirely