The Manuscript: Presenting Study Design, Rationale, and Statistical Analysis

Each portion of the manuscript should contribute to the reader’s understanding of why and how the study was done and should help persuade the reader that (1) the hypothesis or study question is clearly stated, carefully considered, and important, (2) the methods are designed to answer the question and the analysis is appropriate, (3) the results are credible, and (4) the implications are placed in context and the limitations do not preclude interpretation of the results.

Words used herein that are defined in the glossary (see 20.9, Glossary of Statistical Terms) are given in a different font.