Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008
Statistical methods are vital to biomedical research. Our aim was to find out whether progress has been made in the last decade in the use of statistical methods in Chinese medical research. We reviewed 10 leading Chinese medical journals published in 1998 and in 2008. Regarding statistical methods,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2011-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2011/139494 |
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| _version_ | 1832563647433408512 |
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| author | Shunquan Wu Zhichao Jin Xin Wei Qingbin Gao Jian Lu Xiuqiang Ma Cheng Wu Qian He Meijing Wu Rui Wang Jinfang Xu Jia He |
| author_facet | Shunquan Wu Zhichao Jin Xin Wei Qingbin Gao Jian Lu Xiuqiang Ma Cheng Wu Qian He Meijing Wu Rui Wang Jinfang Xu Jia He |
| author_sort | Shunquan Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Statistical methods are vital to biomedical research. Our aim was to find out whether progress has been made in the last decade in the use of statistical methods in Chinese medical research. We reviewed 10 leading Chinese medical journals published in 1998 and in 2008. Regarding statistical methods, using a multiple t-test for multiple group comparison was the most common error in the t-test in both years, which significantly decreased in 2008. In contingency tables, no significant level adjustment for multiple comparison significantly decreased in 2008. In ANOVA, over a quarter of articles misused the method of multiple pair-wise comparison in both years, and no significant difference was seen between the two years. In the rank transformation nonparametric test, the error of using multiple pair-wise comparison for multiple group comparison became less common. Many mistakes were found in the randomised controlled trial (56.3% in 1998; 67.9% in 2008), non- randomised clinical trial (57.3%; 58.6%), basic science study (72.9%; 65.5%), case study or case series study (48.4%; 47.2%), and cross-sectional study (57.1%; 44.2%). Progress has been made in the use of statistical methods in Chinese medical journals, but much is yet to be done. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f3fe1a5f430436f8882fbd4cfc309cf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f3fe1a5f430436f8882fbd4cfc309cf2025-02-03T01:12:55ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2011-01-01112106211410.1100/2011/139494139494Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008Shunquan Wu0Zhichao Jin1Xin Wei2Qingbin Gao3Jian Lu4Xiuqiang Ma5Cheng Wu6Qian He7Meijing Wu8Rui Wang9Jinfang Xu10Jia He11Department of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaClinical Medicine, College of Basic Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaDepartment of Health Statistics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaStatistical methods are vital to biomedical research. Our aim was to find out whether progress has been made in the last decade in the use of statistical methods in Chinese medical research. We reviewed 10 leading Chinese medical journals published in 1998 and in 2008. Regarding statistical methods, using a multiple t-test for multiple group comparison was the most common error in the t-test in both years, which significantly decreased in 2008. In contingency tables, no significant level adjustment for multiple comparison significantly decreased in 2008. In ANOVA, over a quarter of articles misused the method of multiple pair-wise comparison in both years, and no significant difference was seen between the two years. In the rank transformation nonparametric test, the error of using multiple pair-wise comparison for multiple group comparison became less common. Many mistakes were found in the randomised controlled trial (56.3% in 1998; 67.9% in 2008), non- randomised clinical trial (57.3%; 58.6%), basic science study (72.9%; 65.5%), case study or case series study (48.4%; 47.2%), and cross-sectional study (57.1%; 44.2%). Progress has been made in the use of statistical methods in Chinese medical journals, but much is yet to be done.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2011/139494 |
| spellingShingle | Shunquan Wu Zhichao Jin Xin Wei Qingbin Gao Jian Lu Xiuqiang Ma Cheng Wu Qian He Meijing Wu Rui Wang Jinfang Xu Jia He Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008 The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008 |
| title_full | Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008 |
| title_fullStr | Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008 |
| title_short | Misuse of Statistical Methods in 10 Leading Chinese Medical Journals in 1998 and 2008 |
| title_sort | misuse of statistical methods in 10 leading chinese medical journals in 1998 and 2008 |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2011/139494 |
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