I saw a number in the news
A step-by-step article on checking a percentage, a ranking or a "study" from the news or an advert.
a guide to ratings, polls and statistics
Zasobyanina — how to read ratings, polls and statistics
Numbers are everywhere: in school and city rankings, in marketplace reviews, in news stories about poll results, in adverts full of percentages and stars. Many of them are honest, but almost any number can be presented so that it looks more convincing than it really is. This site collects calm, practical explanations: how polls work and where the margin of error comes from, how the mean differs from the median, why a chart can mislead, why correlation does not mean causation, and where to find official data. No rankings of our own, no advertising and no assessments of specific people or organisations.
A number on its own proves nothing. It becomes useful once you know who produced it, how, and what exactly it measures.
Where to start
I'm choosing a product by its reviews
A reading list on how to read ratings and reviews before you buy, and what not to rely on.
I want to understand a poll's margin of error
Short answers about sampling, margin of error and why 1,000 people can speak for millions.
I'm getting to grips with the terms
A glossary: sample, margin of error, median, correlation, Simpson's paradox and other concepts.
Guide sections
- Guide sections
A map of the guide: polls, ratings and reviews, averages and charts, official data.
- Practical articles
How to check a number from the news or an advert, step by step, plus a catalogue of upcoming articles.
- Questions and answers
Short answers about polls, ratings, reviews and basic statistical concepts.
- Reading lists
Reading paths: getting started, before you buy, numbers in the news.
- Reference
A glossary: sampling and polls, descriptive statistics, charts and data.
- New publications
A dated feed of the guide's publications.
- Archive
All materials by date and topic, plus a note on the domain's former addresses.
Example: how to read any ranking in five steps
Find out who compiled the ranking
The author, the commissioning party and the data source are the first things to look for. A ranking compiled by a seller of its own products reads differently from an independent comparison.
Find out what exactly was measured
"Best" is not a metric. Look at the criteria used to score the entries and how those criteria were weighted.
Look at the data behind it
A survey, customer reviews, official statistics or expert opinion — every source has its own weak spots.
Check how big the differences are
If places in a ranking are separated by fractions of a point, the order may be down to chance. A small difference does not always mean real superiority.
Compare with other sources
If another independent source paints a similar picture, you can trust the ranking more. If the picture is completely different, look for how the methods differ.
Frequently asked questions in brief
Do you publish your own rankings or polls?
No. Zasobyanina is an independent guide. We explain how to read other people's rankings and polls, but we do not carry out our own research, rate products or services, or publish unverifiable reviews.
Can you trust a poll of only 1,000 people?
Sample size is not the main thing. With a simple random sample of 1,000 people, the margin of error is about ±3.1 percentage points. What matters more is how participants were selected and how the questions were worded.
Why do news stories talk about median pay rather than average pay?
The arithmetic mean is pulled strongly by extreme values, such as a few very high incomes. The median is insensitive to them and better shows what a "typical" person earns.
Is this guide connected to the former website on this domain?
No. The current guide is not connected to the former website, does not reproduce its materials and does not cover political topics.
About the project
Zasobyanina is an independent reference project. The domain was apparently once used for a political project; the current guide is not connected to it, does not reproduce its materials and does not cover political topics. The site is not campaign material and does not pose as the former project or as any government authority.
We write about things that are useful to anyone who comes across numbers in everyday life: how to read rankings of products, services, schools and cities, how to understand the results of opinion polls and their margin of error, how the mean differs from the median, how to spot a misleading chart and where to find official data. The numerical illustrations on the site are hypothetical examples, not the results of real studies.
Sources
- Rosstat (Federal State Statistics Service)
- AAPOR — Transparency Initiative
- ESOMAR — International Code
- Textbooks on statistics and survey methodology
- Encyclopaedic sources
Information is current as of the preparation date. Research methods, official statistics releases and the standards of professional associations change over time, so always check the latest data in the original sources.