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Stats #32c: Statistical Evidence: Apples or Oranges? Matching and adjustments

Content: This one hour training class will give you a general introduction in how to interpret research publications that use methods such as matching and covariate adjustment to assure a good comparison between the treatment/exposure group and the control group. In this presentation, you will apply these skills to actual published research.

Objectives:  In this class you will learn how to:

  • apply matching and stratification to prevent covariate imbalance;
  • discuss the strengths and weaknesses of crossover studies;
  • explain how covariate adjustment and weighting work to reduce or remove bias.

Teaching strategies:  Didactic lectures and small group exercises.

IRB Education Credits:  This class qualifies for 1 IRB Education Credit (IRBEC).

Outline:

  • Overview of the STATS web pages
  • Consulting services that I provide
  • Statistical Evidence: Overview (not available on the web handout)
  • Statistical Evidence: Apples or Oranges (not available on the web handout)
  • Please fill out an evaluation form

Overview of the STATS web pages (January 21, 2000)

What are the STATS web pages?

The STATS pages are a collection of handouts that I use in my job as a statistical consultant. The web provides a nice home for these handouts, because as I update my material, the newest version is immediately available to anyone who is interested.

Where can I find STATS?

If you have a web browser, like Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, you can surf on over to my site,

http://www.childrensmercy.org/stats

which is also found at http://internet1/stats, if you are attached to the Children's Mercy Hospital network. There are two obsolete sites: http://www.cmh.edu/stats and http://simon/stats. Do not use either of these sites.

Some of the fun stuff you can find on the STATS web pages.

Ask Professor Mean.  For the tough Statistics questions that Dear Abby won't touch.

Planning Your Research Study.  Things you need to plan for before you start collecting your data.

Selecting An Appropriate Sample Size.  How much data do you really need?

Managing Your Research Data.  Everything you want to know before you step to the keyboard.

Steps In a Typical Data Analysis.  I have my data on the computer. Now what?

How to Read a Medical Journal Article.  Reading a journal is hard work. Here's some help.

Professor Mean's Library.  Good books and good web sites about Statistics.

... and even more good stuff!!!

This webpage was written, edited by Linda Foland, and was last modified on 07/08/2008. . Category: Website details

For CMH employees only: Statistical Consulting Services.

You can get free statistical consulting if you work for Children's Mercy Hospital. Ashley Sherman provide a wide range of statistical consulting services to help you with your research projects. This help can start as early as the initial planning of your research. I also help with the analysis of your data, using SPSS or other statistical software. We can also provide assistance with the preparation of your presentations and publications.

Here area some examples of the services that we have provided:

  • setting up your research hypothesis,
  • selecting and justifying your sample size,
  • writing the statistical methods section for your grant,
  • preparing randomization tables for your study,
  • reviewing your surveys for content and quality,
  • developing a system for entering your data,
  • choosing an appropriate statistical model for your data,
  • establishing validity and/or reliability for your measurement scales,
  • checking for violations of statistical assumptions in your data,
  • producing graphs and tables for your research publication, and
  • providing references for new and unusual statistical methods.

Specific statistical advice has been outlined on a series of web pages which can be found at http://www.childrensmercy.org/stats/. The pages provide advice about planning your research, selecting an appropriate sample size, managing your research data, performing a variety of data analyses, presenting research data, and writing research papers.

This webpage was written on 2003-04-30 and was last modified on 2008-07-08. Category: Professional details

Statistical Evidence: Overview is not available on the web. A handout based on the overview of my upcoming book publication will be included as a separate handout.

Statistical Evidence: Apples or Oranges is not available on the web. A handout based on Chapter 1 of my upcoming book publication will be included as a separate handout.

 

Please fill out an evaluation form. Your input is important. These evaluation forms also ensure that we can offer Continuing Medical Education credits for this class.

CMH Employees