Pharmacist Michal Ordak of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, interviewed 141 editors of medical and biomedical journals from various countries about the rigor of the statistical analysis in scientific articles they publish. According to the survey, published in Polish Archives of Internal Medicine, almost half of respondents (48.9%) stated that the publications they work for have a statistical editor—while the other half (51.2%) reported that there is no such position at their journals. A total of 54.6% of respondents said a statistics expert was involved in the peer-review process. Of those that performed a statistical review, 89.6% reported difficulties recruiting professionals with adequate experience in the field.
Almost a third of editors stated that they reject between 11% and 30% of manuscripts after carrying out a statistical check, a quarter reject a percentage between 1% and 10%, and 23.4% did not know how to respond. In terms of steps they would like to see taken to improve statistical analysis at their journals, 91% highlighted the possibility of members of the editorial board participating in meetings and conferences where the topic is discussed, while 89% said they felt there was a lack of standardized guidelines on statistical analysis for biomedical journals. The editors interviewed were all affiliated with the World Association of Medical Editors.
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