Abstract
One of the most central features of the controlled trial is the allocation of treatments to subjects by chance, a procedure known as randomization. This serves two functions: in the first place it guarantees an unbiased allocation of the treatments (and there is no better method of doing so) and therefore permits a fair comparison between treatments. Secondly, it provides the basis for the application of the theory of probability which underlies statistical techniques. It is true that statistical tests are applied to data in which there has been no randomization, but the inferences in such cases are insecure.
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© 1981 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Hamilton, M. (1981). Characteristics of Therapy in Statistical Analysis. In: Wardell, W.M., Velo, G. (eds) Drug Development, Regulatory Assessment, and Postmarketing Surveillance. NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series, vol 39. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4055-3_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4055-3_15
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