figuresneither

Figuresneither is a term used in discourse analysis and data-literacy discussions to describe a figure, data point, or presentation that deliberately refrains from endorsing a particular interpretation. A figuresneither depiction communicates information without signaling that the data support nor oppose a given hypothesis, leaving interpretation to the reader or audience.

Origin and usage: The term appears in online discussions about data storytelling and methodological transparency, and is formed by combining “figure” with “neither” to emphasize neutrality. It is sometimes written as figuresneither or as two words in early instances, but the concatenated form has become common.

Applications: In journalism and research reporting, a figuresneither chart or paragraph presents central tendencies, ranges, or uncertainty without a directional claim. Example: “The results are presented as figuresneither showing a significant increase nor a significant decrease.” In a narrative, a figuresneither approach can help reduce authorial bias when reporting ambiguous data.

Relationship to hedging: Figuresneither differs from linguistic hedging by focusing on the data presentation itself rather than the propositional language. It complements confidence intervals, error bars, and caveats, signaling neutrality rather than persuasion.

Critique and guidelines: Critics argue that figuresneither can obscure a dataset’s practical implications if overused. Proponents emphasize transparency. When used, it should be paired with context, methodological notes, and explicit uncertainty measures to aid interpretation.

See also: data visualization; data storytelling; neutrality in reporting; hedging in communication; figures of speech.