Chapter navigation
Introduction
Across modern societies, statistics play a central role in shaping public understanding. They inform political debate, underpin policy decisions, and influence how individuals interpret the world around them. Yet this influence comes with a growing challenge: statistics now circulate within a crowded and fast-moving information ecosystem where messages are distilled, repackaged and shared at speed. In such an environment, even well-produced statistics can be misunderstood, selectively presented, or deliberately misused. Statistics should not simply be accurate but must also be communicated and used in ways that build public confidence
The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) addresses this challenge through its vision (OSR, 2019) that statistics should serve the public good, acting as public assets that inform understanding and shape action (OSR, 2024). This framing is important because it explicitly connects statistical practice with democratic values: trust, accountability and informed debate.
OSR as the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority has the statutory objective of “promoting and safeguarding the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good” (SRSA, 2007). The UK’s Code of Practice for Statistics (Edition 3.0) (the Code) (OSR, 2025a) is central to this responsibility. The Code is not a rule book or narrow technical manual; rather, it is an ethical and practical framework that recognises the full lifecycle of statistics, from production through to communication and use.
This paper argues that the Code’s framework of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value (TQV) provides a powerful and adaptable model for addressing and anticipating misinformation. By examining both the TQV principles themselves and their application in practice, the paper shows how “thinking TQV” supports a more resilient and trustworthy statistical ecosystem.
Back to top