Tips on evaluating statistical data

Ask the following questions when attempting to evaluate the statistical data:

Authority

who is the author(s) and what are their qualifications/authority?

Date

what is the date range of the data and is it intended to be current or historical?

Purpose

who is the intended audience, what type of publication is the data published in and is the data clearly represented?

Content

are the statistics accurate, can they be verified, is there bias?