How to spot a statistical problem: advice for a non-statistical reviewer
An article published in BMC Medicine this week provides insights into how peer reviewers should evaluate statistics in publications.
The article aims to cover the following questions:
- Is there sufficient detail to review the statistical methods?
- Are there any common statistical issues?
- Is the presentation of results appropriate?
- Is the interpretation of results appropriate?
The authors conclude: “We have provided a number of indicators to assist the non-statistical reviewer… If reviewers lack the appropriate background to positively confirm the appropriateness of any of the manuscript’s statistical aspects, they are encouraged to recommend it for expert statistical review.”.
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