Biostatistics and Research Design for Clinicians

The objective of this chapter is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of core statistical concepts that will aid in the translation of meaningful research results. We emphasize the importance of a well-defined study design as a strong foundation that will lead to sound evidence. First, we define foundational statistical terminology; we then discuss the steps to generating and testing hypotheses through development of a solid research question and review how to choose an appropriate study design. Second, we describe a twofold approach to data analysis that uses descriptive statistics followed by inferential statistics. Finally, we cover essentials for sound evidence, based on a systematic point-based approach to judge the quality of data and strength of recommendations produced by research studies.