Beyond p-value: the Rigor and Power of Study

There have been a series of recent discussions and debates on the p-value and statistical significance. These discussions, including publications of more than 40 papers in a special issue of the American Statistician, provide an excellent opportunity to think about some technical measures for practical implementation in grant applications and publications. While several factors have been discussed, it may be the rigor of a study that determines the p-value for reporting study results and judging a consistent replication of research. Both p-values and power, which integrate Fisherian and Neyman-Pearson methods, should be used for hypothesis testing. We propose new criteria, which can be implemented without fundamental changes in existing statistics, to reduce false positives and irreplicability of studies that are either inadequately powered or overpowered.

Duke Scholars

Author Claude Lebernian Hughes Jr. Obstetrics and Gynecology