August 31, 2023

Going Beyond P-Values: A New Statistical Tool to Evaluate Research Findings

A recent study proposes an innovative statistical tool called the Robustness Index to quantify research findings’ fragility. As concern grows over issues reproducing published research, this new metric aims to provide a simple, interpretable measure of a study’s robustness against violations of assumptions. By examining how changing sample size affects significance, the Robustness Index adjusts for key factors that impact reproducibility, such as prevalence and sample size. This thought-provoking research highlights the need for improved fragility metrics beyond simplistic statistical significance. Routine use of tools like the Robustness Index could greatly enhance reliability and transparency in medical research.

Citation: Heston TF. The robustness index: going beyond statistical significance by quantifying fragility. Cureus. 2023 Aug 30;15(8):e44397. doi:10.7759/cureus.44397