Statistical Numeracy

[Elaedith]

Yep, and the rub, and unknown in the example, is whether the trials were registered prospective or retrospective. The latter, with small N's is much more subject to publication bias since lots of groups may have conducted decent, but small, double blind trials and small ones are less likely to get published if not significant.

That's really the big problem with the current trials of Vit. D, Ivermectin, etc. They are pretty small. And reviewing the prospective registered trials show large percentages were started but never completed.

It is still quite common though to encounter researchers say that a small sample size doesn't matter if the result was significant. I think this in part stems from misinterpreting the p value as the probability that the result did occur by chance (i.e. as the probability of the null hypothesis given the data rather than the reverse).