Bulanov, N;
Suvorov, AY;
Blyuss, OB;
Munblit, DB;
Butnaru, DV;
Nadinskaia, MY;
Zaikin, AA;
(2021)
Basic principles of descriptive statistics in medical research.
Sechenov Medical Journal
, 12
(3)
pp. 4-16.
10.47093/2218-7332.2021.12.3.4-16.
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Abstract
Descriptive statistics provides tools to explore, summarize and illustrate the research data. In this tutorial we discuss two main types of data – qualitative and quantitative variables, and the most common approaches to characterize data distribution numerically and graphically. This article presents two important sets of parameters – measures of the central tendency (mean, median and mode) and variation (standard deviation, quantiles) and suggests the most suitable conditions for their application. We explain the difference between the general population and random samples, that are usually analyzed in studies. The parameters which characterize the sample (for example, measures of the central tendency) are point estimates, that can differ from the respective parameters of the general population. We introduce the concept of confidence interval – the range of values, which likely includes the true value of the parameter for the general population. All concepts and definitions are illustrated with examples, which simulate the research data.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Basic principles of descriptive statistics in medical research |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.47093/2218-7332.2021.12.3.4-16 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.47093/2218-7332.2021.12.3.4-16 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | statistics as topic; normal distribution; mean; standard deviation; quantiles; confidence interval; histogram |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health > Womens Cancer |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10182014 |
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