Interpretation of Findings

Abstract

Every study is designed and carried out with the expectation that it will have value. The expectation at the early stages of the study is that scientifically valid and ethically collected evidence about the research questions will contribute to increased knowledge, and that the study findings will be important for decision making about further research, public health policy, or patient care. Near the end of the study, the time has come for all stakeholders to check if these early expectations have been met. It is time to interpret the obtained statistical evidence in the light of the achieved internal validity, and to reflect on the generalizability of the findings and on possible lines of action supported by them. In this chapter, we argue that this evaluation is mainly the task of peer reviewers and other critical readers or listeners. Investigators should provide the necessary objective and unambiguous information to make the task possible. That information should consist of correctly described statistical results and a complete account of issues relevant to study validity.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.

Winston Churchill