Statistical test-finder for biologists

Are there significant differences between the means or

Is there a relationship between two (or more) variables? Are there significant differences between the observed and
medians of measurements made on objects from two or
What is the mathematical relationship describing the expected numbers of objects or events classified into two or
more samples, or a single sample and a theoretical or
dependence of one variable on the other? more categories?
expected value?

Difference between a sample Difference between Difference between Strength of relationship, Strength of relationship, not
and a single value two samples more than two assuming one variable assuming one variable
samples dependent on the other dependent on the other

Paired samples
Unpaired samples
(linked in space Interval or ratio data,
Ordinal data or or time) linear relationship
not normally between X and Y,
Ratio or distributed variance of Y similar for Interval or ratio data, Ordinal data or
interval data, Ratio or increasing X values, normally distributed, one or more
Ratio or interval
normally Ordinal data or interval data, Ordinal data or residuals normal linear relationship variables non-
data, differences
distributed not normally normally not normally between X and Y normal
between pairs
normal distributed distributed distributed distributed

Regression (multiple
regression if more Rank
1-sample Wilcoxon Paired- Wilcoxon 2-sample Mann-Whitney than one ‘predictor’ Correlation correlation
t-test (signed-rank) test sample t-test (signed-rank) test t-test U test variable) (Pearson’s) (Spearman’s)

One set of treatments (different levels of one Two different types of treatment
factor or single levels of different factors) with two or more levels.

Objects or events Objects or events

Ratio or interval data,
classified into two or more classified into
Ordinal data or don’t residuals normally
Ratio or interval categories (e.g. sex) and categories by more
meet assumptions distributed, equal
data, residuals compared with predicted than one variable (e.g.
(residuals not normal, variances
normally distributed, proportions sex, eye colour)
variances equal unequal variances)

Two-way ANOVA
Chi-squared Chi-squared
One-way ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test ANOVA significant and need to identify goodness of fit contingency table
differences between treatments

ANOVA significant and need to identify

differences between treatments
Interaction significant Interaction not significant

Multiple
comparison Tukey test of Tukey test of
test (Tukey) all means significant
treatments