Disclaimer: this research was done in my house on the two dogs we own. One weighs 5 pounds and the other 7. Therefore, the average dog (in our house) weighs six pounds.

Ridiculous? Of course. But no more ridiculous than a white paper sent to me by a colleague. It shared shocking revelations about employees…based on research done at ONE company. (Professional decorum prevents me from being more specific about the study or the “group” presenting it.)

As my kids would say, “Seriously?”

This is valid research I can extrapolate?

No, it isn’t.

But the supposed “research” was presented in a beautifully formatted white paper, complete with graphs. Doesn’t that make it credible?

The next time you read some shocking research, look for the methodology and sample size. That will be your first clue as to the validity of the research.

And you’ll find that in our house we have especially small dogs.