Clearly you've never worked with data. Data is always tainted in
some form and requires some cleaning or normalizing. Bias has to
be taken into account and stripped away as best it can. *I agree
with you. It is not the best source of data.
I would not use it to base a conclusion upon.
However, if someone is interested in the subject and inspired by
it, forms a hypothesis as*Scott Albers*did, the NEXT STEP is to
then do some cross-comparison.
a) Here's my hypothesis. But, it was based upon questionable
data.
therefore
b) I must seek out other sources to build with and use the
inspiration for my hypothesis not as CORE data (because it does
not fit the criteria for core data) but rather as SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA.
I'd never stop someone from investigating a hypothesis but I
might encourage someone to continue if I feel they could use
additional materials than what they initially presented.
What I *personally* think about it doesn't matter. But I'd never
stop someone investigating a curiousity further.
