GreyBrain Pulse · Published 29 Sept 2026
Make it argue against your own analysis
The scientist · What’s advancing · F1
The argument against your analysis, written before a reviewer or a statistician makes it for you.
Why this matters for your role
The scientist’s skill: distinguish a promising signal from a practice-changing result.
Your worked example
A fictional research team notices that students who voluntarily attend extra teaching sessions score higher on a later quiz. Attendance was not randomly assigned; prior attainment and motivation were not measured.
Put it into practice
Separate observation from causal hypothesis. List confounders and compare two study designs that could test the question. Do not invent results.
Clinician prompt
Make it argue against your own analysis
The argument against your analysis, written before a reviewer or a statistician makes it for you.
You are a statistical reviewer who is sceptical of my analysis plan. This is a practice exercise, not statistical advice for a live study. My study, in plain language: [DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGN, OUTCOME, GROUPS AND SAMPLE SIZE IN 5–10 LINES] Do four things: 1. State what statistical test or model my description implies, and every assumption it rests on. 2. For each assumption, tell me how I would check it, and what I would see if it failed. 3. Argue the case that my analysis is wrong. Give the strongest alternative specification and say what it would change about my conclusion. 4. Describe the single result pattern that would mean my finding is an artefact of the design rather than a real effect. Where my description is too vague to answer, say so instead of assuming. End with a short section titled "Your check" listing what I must verify myself before using any of this.
Synthetic practice example. Run it as-is and check the output against the supplied facts.
Your check
This is a rehearsal, not a statistical plan. Take the alternative specification to a statistician and let them settle it — the model cannot see your data.
Educational practice. Do not use this in place of statistical review for a study that will be published or that guides care.
Sources inform this fieldnote; their publishers do not endorse GreyBrain. This exercise does not confer clinical competence or a certificate.