if yuo read an article that has statistics and other information that aren,t commonly known, do you look to se

Answer 1

That would depend upon my interest and knowledge in the subject. If I don't know anything about the subject, the references won't mean anything either.
Sometimes people use such things to confuse others. An example: most crimes are committed after eating bread or a bread product. A conclusion might be that eating bread causes crimes.
Good example of bad use of information.

Answer 2

When new information is given, it should be backed by references from which the information is obtained. If not, it becomes an opinion of the author. References help the reader to do further search to judge the quality and reliability of the contents of the article.
Statistics can be misleading to a layman and many people cleverly provide only statistics that support their belief. Hence one should be careful in interpreting statistical details, and insist on the full statistics that was the source for the article. A lot of people are put off by numbers, and too many of them (numbers) could be confusing too. Hence if one is not versed in interpretation of statistical data, it is advisable to take help of a person knowledgeable in statistics.

Answer 3

hmm, due to the natural laziness in human beings, i rarely check unless i am determined to learn more about it or unless it really interests me :) think majority of us are the same way... just depends on whether i feel it is credible or not and whether they give any sources or not... some info i already know myself... just need confirmation :D

actually checking out for yourself is better for yourself so that you don't blindly accept everything everybody says... and based on your beliefs and principles too you can choose to believe whatever you wish. it's simple to get lazy and just believe whoever answers, but there's no grounds for proof unless stated.

Answer 4

Even though you didn't complete your question, it depends on whether the author or source is credible.