Are the errors of the estimates reported according to the sampling design?
Precision can be indicated either by giving confidence intervals or by separately showing the maximum error that could be affecting the estimates. This step should not be skipped, since it allows one to judge to what degree he or she can be certain to really know the parameter being estimated. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors is categorical on this point in its universally accepted document known as the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, in the section devoted to presenting statistical data (3). That section asks authors to: “. . . quantify findings and present them with appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (such as confidence intervals). Avoid relying solely on statistical hypothesis testing, such as the use of P values, which fails to convey important quantitative information.” For example, let’s suppose that two countries are found to have a 25% prevalence rate of hypertension. Let’s also assume that, if
