How to Achieve Standardization of Statistical Methods in Toxicology

Abstract

The current diversity in statistical methodology for even quite simple situations is emphasized. The reasons for this diversity can be grouped into two broad categories: Cultural, including national preference, historical precedent, and resource availability; and statistical, including inadequacies in statistical theory, inadequate knowledge of the biological context, and other practical constraints.

Although criteria for an ideal methodology could be defined, no current methods satisfy them and are therefore suboptimal. It is inferred that to attempt worldwide standardization on a particular statistical test in a particular situation (“Standardization by Method”) is generally not desirable. A proposal will be made, however, that it should be possible to achieve standardization by the setting of “performance criteria” in order to classify proposed methods as “acceptable” or “unacceptable” (“Standardization by Performance”).