Statistical points and pitfalls

make for the interpretations of findings and the implications thereof for educational practice and future research. A new section of Perspectives on Medical Education, entitled Statistical points and pitfalls, directly tackles these analytical issues. The overall purpose of this series is to help readers and researchers alike increase awareness of how to use statistics, why and how we fall into inappropriate choices or interpretations, and what we can do about it. We hope to help readers understand common misconceptions and give clear guidance on how to avoid common pitfalls by offering simple tips to improve the reporting of quantitative research findings. Each entry discusses a commonly encountered inappropriate practice and offers alternatives from a pragmatic perspective with no mathematics involved. This issue’s inaugural edition of Statistical points and pitfalls addresses the question of when it is appropriate to do a statistical test. In it, we present the conditions that ought to be met for a statistical test to be used and what to do otherwise [2]. Whether you are an educator trying to select the most appropriate methods to deliver effective learning for your students, a researcher trying to improve your reporting of quantitative findings, or simply want to gain a critical understanding of the literature that you read, this section is for you. If you supervise others’ research but you struggle to give concrete feedback on how to improve, you will also find useful assistance here. Suggestions for future editions of this section can be shared on Twitter, using the hashtag #mededstats. We hope you find Statistical points and pitfalls accessible, instructive, and entertaining.