Last updated: March 2, 2026 by Dr. David Park

Detecting Outliers in Data

Formula

IQR = Q3 - Q1.
Lower fence = Q1 - 1.5*IQR.
Upper fence = Q3 + 1.5*IQR.
Values outside fences are outliers.

Outliers are data points that differ significantly from other observations. They can result from measurement errors, data entry mistakes, or genuine extreme values. Identifying outliers is an important step in data cleaning and analysis.

The IQR method defines outliers as values below Q1 - 1.5*IQR or above Q3 + 1.5*IQR. The Z-score method flags values with |Z| > 3 as outliers.

Common use cases:

  • Data cleaning before statistical analysis
  • Fraud detection in financial data
  • Quality control in manufacturing

Frequently Asked Questions

DD

Dr. David Park

Applied Mathematician, PhD Mathematics

David holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from MIT. He has published research on numerical methods and computational algorithms used in engineering and scientific calculators.

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