WORKSHOP 6

Statistics for editors and translators

Do you think that editors should not be bothered with the statistics in articles published in their journals? Or that translators and author’s editors should pass over the statistics with no comment? We’ve heard those arguments often, yet statistics are an integral part of the content of an article. Even the interpretation of simple aspects of language in papers written by non-native speakers of English requires us to understand the role of statistics in the overall argument.

We invite you to participate in the workshop which will examine how much journal editors, author-editors and translators should know about data presentation in articles they work on. The workshop aims to show that all professionals involved in publishing scientific articles, regardless of the training and type of work on articles, should use their common sense when thinking about data presentation in a scientific article.

Purpose | Description | Structure | Who should attend? | Outcome skills
Pre-meeting information | About the facilitator

Purpose

To introduce editors, copyeditors, author’s editors, and translators to basic standards of statistical reporting in medical journals and help them spot some of most common mistakes.

To familiarize participants with the purpose, interpretation and reporting of regression analysis (linear regression analysis and logistic regression analysis).

Description

The workshop will address basic principles of reporting statistics in medical journals. Participants will have an opportunity to try out and discuss practical exercises. A special portion of the workshop will address the meaning, interpretation and reporting of regression analysis.

Structure

The workshop will have three separate parts. In the first section a brief overview of basic principles in reporting statistics will be given. The second part will address practical examples of common statistical reporting errors in scientific articles and what editors and translators should ask authors in order to clarify the data. The third part of the workshop will aim at offering a basic understanding of regression analysis. Practical examples will be given.

Who should attend?

The workshop is open to all but it is primarily aimed at journal editors, author’s editors, and translators who work with academic articles.

No statistical background is necessary.

Outcome skills

Participants will learn not to be afraid of numbers and data in scientific articles. They will not learn to perform statistical analysis but will learn how to critically assess data presentation and work with the authors on reporting statistics.

Hopefully, regression analysis will be demystified.

Pre-meeting information

As a pre-workshop assignment, participants should read an article - Lang T. Twenty Statistical Errors Even YOU Can Find in Biomedical Research Articles. CMJ. 2004;45:361-70. The paper can be found at: http://www.cmj.hr/2004/45/4/15311405.pdf

About the developers and facilitator

This workshop was developed by Darko Hren, BS Psychology, a Research Fellow at Zagreb University School of Medicine (Croatia), Professor Ana Marušic, MD, PhD, Editor of the Croatian Medical Journal and Ana Ivaniš, MD, also a Research Fellow at Zagreb University School of Medicine.

As a journal editor, the facilitator Darko Hren actively promotes excellence in the statistical presentation of data. He also teaches statistical thinking in planning medical research. In conjunction with the other developers, he has organized continuing medical courses on planning and writing research in medicine, which also include data presentation and analysis. e-mail: dhren@mef.hr