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Why Should Researchers Report The Confidence Interval in Modern Research?
Why Should Researchers Report The Confidence Interval in Modern Research?
1, 2005
Copyright © Middle East Fertility Society
Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and secretary general of the center of evidence-Based Medicine, Cairo University
Medical research aims, mainly, at estimating Hypothesis testing and the p-value
the effect of an intervention or exposure in a
certain population. For decades researchers relied Starting the research, a research question is
on the p-value to report whether this effect is true formulated using the null hypothesis that always
(significant) or just has happened by chance assumes that any effect observed in the
(insignificant). In the last decade, many intervention (or exposed) group versus the control
international journals do not accept manuscripts for group is merely a product of chance. This, in
publication if testing for significance was based research terms, is described as "there is no
only on the p-value. Calculating a confidence difference in the outcome between the intervention
interval (CI) for every variable measured became a (or exposed) group and the control group".
mandatory pre-requisite in modern research. But To reject or accept the null hypothesis testing
why should researchers measure the confidence for significance is required. The aim of tests of
interval and what benefit do we get from the significance is to calculate the "probability" that an
confidence interval over the p-value? observed outcome has merely happened by chance.
For every intervention or exposure studied an This probability is known as the "p-value". In
important question arises; what is the exact effect medical research, statisticians and researchers
(true effect) of the intervention or exposure in the agreed that if the p-value [or in other words the
population? If a precise answer to this question is probability of an effect to happen by chance] is
to be sought, researchers have to study the whole more than 5% (p > 0.05), researchers have to
population. Something that is almost always both accept the null hypothesis and if it is less than 5%
impossible and inappropriate. (p < 0.05) researchers can reject the null
To work around this; researchers draw a sample hypothesis. Accepting the null hypothesis means
from the population and study the effect of the that the outcome studied in the intervention (or
intervention or exposure on this sample versus exposed) group did not differ from that in the
another control sample then calculate an estimate control group (insignificant difference) while
of the likely effect of the intervention or exposure rejecting the null hypothesis means that the
in the population. intervention (or exposure) has a true effect, either
beneficial or harmful, compared with that in the
control group (significant difference).
Correspondences: Dr. Abdelhamid Attia, 18 El-Ghaith St., El- So, if we are only interested in assessing
Agouza, Cairo, Egypt. Email: aattia@thewayout.net whether the apparent effect of an intervention or