Abstract
Statistics are the primary tools for assessing relationships and evaluating study questions. Unfortunately, these tools are often misused, either inadvertently because of ignorance or lack of planning, or conspicuously to achieve a specified result. Data abuses include the incorrect application of statistical tests, lack of transparency and disclosure about decisions that are made, incomplete or incorrect multivariate model building, or exclusion of outliers. Individually, each of these actions may completely invalidate a study, and often studies are victim to more than one offense. Increasingly there are tools and guidance for researchers to look to, including the development of an analysis plan and a series of study specific checklists, in order to prevent or mitigate these offenses.
Highlights
Utility of biomedical research is a product of appropriate study design, high quality measures, proper selection and application of statistical methods, and correct interpretations of analytical results
Biostatistics are a set of tools that are used to evaluate relationships between results in biomedical research
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis investigating fabrication and falsification of research found that 33.7% of those surveyed admitted to questionable research practices, including modifying results to improve the outcome, questionable interpretation of data, withholding methodological or analytical details, dropping observations or data points from analyses because of a “gut feeling that they were inaccurate” and deceptive or misleading report of design, data or results [3]
Summary
Utility of biomedical research is a product of appropriate study design, high quality measures, proper selection and application of statistical methods, and correct interpretations of analytical results. Biostatistics are a set of tools that are used to evaluate relationships between results in biomedical research. They are essential for furthering scientific knowledge and understanding. Additional guidance has been proposed regarding reporting of study methods and results to improve quality and reduce misconduct within biomedical research [6,7,8]. Misuse and abuse of statistics sent multiple estimation results and allow for selection of different methods depending on the type of data and relative strength of each method. This report will discuss common misuses and abuses of biostatistics from an epidemiological perspective and provide some guidance on methods to reduce the likelihood for these wrongdoings
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