Abstract
Sixty-two reports that appeared as Papers and Originals (excluding short reports) in 13 consecutive issues of the British Medical journal included statistical analysis. Thirty-two had statistical errors of one kind or another; in 18 fairly serious faults were discovered. The summaries of five reports made some claim that was unsupportable on re-examination of the data. Medical investigators should consult with people who have a real understanding of statistical methods throughout their projects.
Keywords
Related Publications
Statistical Problems in the Reporting of Clinical Trials
Reports of clinical trials often contain a wealth of data comparing treatments. This can lead to problems in interpretation, particularly when significance testing is used exten...
Any casualties in the clash of randomised and observational evidence?
Randomised controlled trials and observational studies are often seen as mutually exclusive, if not opposing, methods of clinical research. Two recent reports, however, identifi...
Reporting on Methods in Clinical Trials
A clinical trial cannot be adequately interpreted without information about the methods used in the design of the study and the analysis of the results. To determine the frequen...
The CONSORT Statement: Revised Recommendations for Improving the Quality of Reports of Parallel-Group Randomized Trials
To comprehend the results of a randomized, controlled trial (RCT), readers must understand its design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation. That goal can be achieved only thro...
A Timely Meeting: Objective Measurement of Physical Activity
Accurate and reliable assessment of physical activity remains an important challenge for epidemiologists, exercise scientists, clinicians, and behavioral researchers. The desire...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1977
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 6053
- Pages
- 85-87
- Citations
- 238
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
Cite This
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1136/bmj.1.6053.85