Commentary: Representativeness is usually not necessary and often should be avoided

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy, Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK, Departments of Medical Statistics and Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK and Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.

Comment

Lorenzo Richiardi et al. Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Aug.

. 2013 Aug;42(4):1018-22.

doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt103.

¹ Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy, Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK, Departments of Medical Statistics and Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK and Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.

No abstract available

Comment in

Rebuttal: When it comes to scientific inference, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Rothman KJ, Gallacher JE, Hatch EE. Rothman KJ, et al. Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Aug;42(4):1026-8. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt124. Int J Epidemiol. 2013. PMID: 24062292 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Why representativeness should be avoided.
Rothman KJ, Gallacher JE, Hatch EE. Rothman KJ, et al. Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Aug;42(4):1012-4. doi: 10.1093/ije/dys223. Int J Epidemiol. 2013. PMID: 24062287 Free PMC article. No abstract available.