Reflect on the tension between the pressure to manipulate data to support an existing desired outcome and employing proper statistical techniques to determine an outcome that is in line with ethical statistical practices and a Christian worldview in the context of the provided scenario regarding real-estate investors and city residents. See theEthical Guidelines for Statistical Practice(opens in new window). For context about a Christian worldview in regard to work and communication of information, review this link fromTruth, Honesty and Deception in the Workplace: Overviewopens in new window). Pay special attention in this article to the introduction, conclusion,Truthtelling in the Bible(opens in new window),Why Truthtelling is Important(opens in new window), andThere May Be Exceptions to Truthtelling in the Workplace(opens in new window).

Scenarios

Report to City Government Officials Submitted on behalf of Real Estate Investors

To Whom It May Concern: It has come to our attention that the residents of the city of Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs have submitted a report to the city government, suggesting that Melbourne lacks affordable housing options for its residents. After reviewing the data that the residents of the city presented to you, and after collecting our own sample of apartment prices within 41 kilometers of the Central Business District, we counter that their data and methods are skewed. Please see our findings below. In fact, Melbourne has a plethora of apartments that are more than affordable for residents, and as such, there is no "urgent" housing crisis in Melbourne. We would recommend that the city government focus their efforts on other matters of concern, such as traffic, single-use plastics, and job growth. Sample Size 300 Sample Mean Apartment Price $453,993.94 Minimum Apartment Price $85,000 Quartile 1 $320,625 Median Apartment Price $465,000 Quartile 3 $491,500 Maximum Apartment Price $3,625,000 IQR (Apartment Price) $170,875 Sample Standard Deviation $273,243.16