Work

Statistical Guidance for Reviewers of Toxicologic Pathology

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Study design, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, and conclusions should be a part of all research papers. Statistics are integral to each of these components and are therefore necessary to evaluate during manuscript peer review. Research published in Toxicological Pathology is often focused on animal studies that may seek to compare defined treatment groups in randomized controlled experiments or focus on the reliability of measurements and diagnostic accuracy of observed lesions from preexisting studies. Reviewers should distinguish scientific research goals that aim to test sufficient effect size differences (i.e., minimizing false positive rates) from common toxicologic goals of detecting a harmful effect (i.e., minimizing false negative rates). This journal comprises a wide range of study designs that require different kinds of statistical assessments. Therefore, statistical methods should be described in enough detail so that the experiment can be repeated by other research groups. The misuse of statistics will impede reproducibility.

Source: Toxicologic Pathology

DOI: 10.1177/0192623318785097

Authors: Keith R. Shockley, Grace E. Kissling

Institutions: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Statistical Methods in Epidemiology

Subfield: Statistics and Probability

Field: Mathematics

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences