Quick tip: Here’s how to handle LSD
No, this isn’t advice on avoiding bad trips.
This is about writing numbers clearly, using the notion of the Least Significant Digit (LSD).
⏱️ 3-minute read.
One of my pet peeves is false precision: numbers that suggest more accuracy than they can actually convey.
I see that in news reports, in survey results, and in white papers too.
But it’s a waste of time for readers. And it can be misleading as well.
Here’s why.
Say you drive to a meeting
- If someone asks how far you drove, you probably say “about 40 miles.”
- But when you fill in your expense report, you write “43 miles.”
- Meanwhile, your trip odometer says 43.27 miles.
- Which number should you use?
That depends. To decide, use the LSD, the last digit that adds anything meaningful to your number.
And to avoid false precision, drop anything after that.
Here’s the rule of thumb: Use the fewest possible digits to convey a number as precisely as you need for the given context.
So in casual conversation, you round a trip to the closest 10 miles. The LSD is the final “0” in “40.”
On your expense report, you want more precision, since you get paid for every mile. So the LSD here becomes the “3” in “43.”
And as for your odometer, no one cares. You would never say 43.27 miles to anyone. That’s false precision.
An example you might see in a white paper
Suppose a writer reports on a survey like this:
A full 53.17% of respondents agree you can’t trust anything you find online.
But 53.17% of 3,000 people = 1,595.1 people.
That can’t be. What is 0.1 of a person? They’ve botched the LSD and stated an impossibly over-precise figure.
(On top of inserting the pejorative adjective “full.” What’s so “full” about 53% of the sample?)
A better way to report that number is to say:
And 53% of respondents agree you can’t trust anything you find online.
Even better, use both words and numbers:
More than half the respondents (53%) agree you can’t trust anything you find online.
I often use that approach. I give an approximation in words and then show the number after, like this:
- about 3 out of 4 (73%)
- more than 4 out of 5 (86%)
That helps your readers quickly make sense of the number you’re giving.
The context for white papers
Remember, white paper readers are in a big hurry.
They’re scanning through your white paper at work, with distractions and interruptions coming at them from all directions.
Every extra digit adds to their cognitive load to decode a number.
Do they care if your survey says 52% or 54%?
Not likely. They just want a quick fix on the results.
“More than half (53%)” is just fine with them.
So when you give numbers in a white paper, be as precise as possible… without going overboard.
Say goodbye to false precision, and hello to crisp, clear numbers!
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