Highly reliable so positivists prefer, trends and patterns can be shown, objective social fact (BIRTH RATES). Use official stats to test their hypothesis, like Durkheim with suicide rates, prove theory right/ wrong. Representative as it's a large typical sample. Validity is low, Interpretivists would argue *educational statistics8 can be socially constructed. Soft Statistics (MANIPULATED ATTENDANCE TO LOOK BETTER), dark figure (NOT TRUE REPRESENTATION)