title: The detection level.
abstract: A statistical measure, the detection level, that conveys information about the risk of type II errors in a way that is easily understandable to the statistically unsophisticated decision maker is proposed. The detection level answers the question: "How big should an effect have been in order to be detected in this way?" Given a statistical test with the critical level (size) alpha*, the detection level of this test is the smallest effect that would, with at least probability 1-alpha*, lead to a significant outcome (P < alpha*) of the test. It is proposed that detection levels should be calculated as a standard procedure in toxicity reviews, and in particular in reports from toxicologists to decision makers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Hansson
mesh_terms: D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014116:Toxicology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data