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The Inexact Use of Fisher's Exact Test in Six Major Medical Journals
W. Paul McKinney, MD;
Mark J. Young, MD;
Arthur Hartz, MD, PhD;
Martha Bi-Fong Lee, PhD
JAMA. 1989;261(23):3430-3433.
Abstract
We reviewed the use of Fisher's Exact Test in 71 articles published between 1983 and 1987 in six medical journals. Thirty-three of 56 selected articles did not specify use of a one- or two-tailed test, and 12 (36%) of these actually used the one-tailed test. Five (42%) of these 12 articles contained at least one table in which the standard significance level of P<.05 was no longer met when a two-tailed analysis was run instead. Eleven (65%) of 17 articles with a statistical consultant compared with 10 (28%) of 36 articles without a consultant specified use of a one- or two-sided test. The use of Fisher's Exact Test without specification as a one- or two-tailed version may misrepresent the statistical significance of data. A uniform specification statement should be required for all manuscripts to correct such potential errors in interpretation.
(JAMA. 1989;261:3430-3433)
Author Affiliations
From the Department of Medicine (Dr McKinney) and the Divisions of General Internal Medicine (Dr Young) and Biostatistics (Drs Hartz and Lee), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Footnotes
Reprint requests to the Department of Medicine, Box 135, Milwaukee County Medical Complex, 8700 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53226 (Dr McKinney).
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