title: Statistical and data reporting guidelines for the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and the Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery.
abstract: As part of the peer review process for the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) and the Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS), a statistician reviews any manuscript that includes a statistical analysis. To facilitate authors considering submitting a manuscript and to make it clearer about the expectations of the statistical reviewers, we present up-to-date guidelines for authors on statistical and data reporting specifically in these journals. The number of statistical methods used in the cardiothoracic literature is vast, as are the ways in which data are presented. Therefore, we narrow the scope of these guidelines to cover the most common applications submitted to the EJCTS and ICVTS, focusing in particular on those that the statistical reviewers most frequently comment on.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, The Farr Institute@HeRC, Liverpool, UK National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR), University College London, London, UK Academic Surgery Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, UK graemeleehickey@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Graeme L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dunning
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Burkhardt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gottfried
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sodeck
authors.affiliation: University of Manchester, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.affiliation: Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hans Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Freiburg University Heart Center, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedhelm
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beyersdorf
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D010380:Peer Review / Q000592:standards; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011643:Publishing / Q000592:standards; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D058028:Research Report / Q000592:standards*; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Data; Guidelines; Peer-review; Reporting; Statistics