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A cognitive bias that consists of overestimating the power of raw facts (data, evidence, statistics) to resolve complex issues, while underestimating the importance of interpretation, theoretical framing, and values. Those who suffer from Factual Bias believe that “the facts speak for themselves” and that simply presenting a number or a study is enough to end any controversy. In practice, this person tends to ignore that facts need to be selected, interpreted, contextualized, and translated into understandable language – and that each of these steps involves biased decisions. Factual bias is the rhetorical basis of the Formal Guillotine, and it's very common in online scientific debates, where the first person to post a link to a random study is treated as the winner, regardless of the study's quality or relevance. Ironically, factual bias is a bias about facts – no fact proves that facts are enough.
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