title: Basic statistical tools in research and data analysis.
abstract: Statistical methods involved in carrying out a study include planning, designing, collecting data, analysing, drawing meaningful interpretation and reporting of the research findings. The statistical analysis gives meaning to the meaningless numbers, thereby breathing life into a lifeless data. The results and inferences are precise only if proper statistical tests are used. This article will try to acquaint the reader with the basic research tools that are utilised while conducting various studies. The article covers a brief outline of the variables, an understanding of quantitative and qualitative variables and the measures of central tendency. An idea of the sample size estimation, power analysis and the statistical errors is given. Finally, there is a summary of parametric and non-parametric tests used for data analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Division of Neuroanaesthesiology, Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Zulfiqar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: S Bala
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
keywords: Basic statistical tools; degree of dispersion; measures of central tendency; parametric tests and non-parametric tests; variables; variance