Analyse

The data (which are anonymised from the start) are checked (a process called ‘cleaning’) to make sure there are no gaps or inconsistencies. The data may be merged with data from prior studies or questionnaires as well as genetic data. The data may also be combined with data from other groups in large-scale approved epidemiological studies. The data is then analysed by statisticians and epidemiologists to answer the research question and to try and identify ‘statistically significant’ findings. Any significant findings are repeatedly checked and often researchers will repeat the study in another group of volunteers to check that it is a real finding in order to ‘validate’ the research and confirm that it wasn’t just a statistical ‘blip’.