Beyond the p-value: How descriptive statistics unlock insights in veterinary research?

Veterinary research relies heavily on data analysis to understand animal health and disease. While inferential statistics are crucial for concluding, descriptive statistics form the foundation for effective data exploration and interpretation. This review delves into the importance of descriptive statistics in veterinary science. It outlines the key objectives of descriptive analysis and provides multiple examples of its application. The application of common measures like frequency distributions, central tendency, data spread, and visualization in veterinary contexts is explored. The review emphasizes the role of descriptive statistics in establishing a strong foundation for further statistical analysis of veterinary data.