Research Data & Statistics

"Do not put your faith in what statistics say until you have carefully considered what they do not say" ~William W. Watt

Hello HEALers!

Hope all is well! Great to visit with this past Saturday! I wanted to cover a few of the topics we discussed yesterday as well as provide you with additional resources that you may find helpful in your journey.

1. Research & Statistics: You may want to check out a couple posts I wrote last year on the topic:

Let’s Dance with Data
The Joy of APA & Statistics

2. While reviewing a research article consider:

• Who funded the study? The source of research funding has been under greater scrutiny as of late. This factor has been associated with influencing the publication of research, the methodological approach, and the reporting of results and findings. Here are two articles that have investigated this relationship:

Pharmaceutical industry sponsorship and research outcome and quality: systematic review

Source of Research Funding Influences Studies on Health Effects of Environmental Tobacco Smoke

• What is the study's sample size? Did the study assess 5 patients or 5,000 patients? The study may state, “We found that 50% of our patients reported ‘X’.”  Using the numbers above, 50% may represent 2.5 patients or 2,500 patients. The size of the sample may impact how you interpret the findings of the study. Who is their sample? Does the study focus on women, men, adults, or children? These characteristics of the sample may influence how you apply the data to practice. How were the participants selected (random or purposive)? 

• What was the methodology used? Is author’s methodology experimental or fairly common in their discipline? Is the study open or blinded?

Lastly, I've found it helpful to learn the basic terminology used in statistics. Do you know the difference between mean, median, mode, and range? The health science sector predominantly publishes quantitative research. In fact, most research published is quantitative. Given this, understanding basic statistical lingo will help you better understand, and more importantly question, the data that is being reported.

Here are some additional Statistics sites to peruse:

How to Understand and Use Basic Statistics
Introduction to Statistics
Stat Trek: Teach Yourself Statistics

Cheers!

Jacqueline