TOPSTATS-MICRODATA
Project Title: TOPSTATS-MICRODATA (Towards precise statistical analysis plans facilitating microdata analyses to advanced Health Research)
Funding: This project is funded by the OeAW (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Start of the Project: July 2024
Microdata create the evidence base for public health decision-making but also pose many challenges to analysts. A single research question can lead to many sensible paths of analysis, depending on a researcher's experience and personal preferences. This can lead to variation in results, also termed 'vibration of effects', which the public may perceive as a variation of researchers' opinions. Consequently, this natural variation may have contributed to the evident public skepticism toward science. Using Austrian microdata we investigate the vibration of effects in 3 health-related research questions on 1) the effectiveness of branded vs generic chronic disease medications, 2) the association of cancer incidence with nightshift work, and 3) the effect of kidney transplantation on survival in diabetic persons.