Misuse of multiple comparison tests and underuse of contrast procedures in aquaculture publications

The present paper critically analyzed the statistical methods used in articles published in ten selected international peer-reviewed aquaculture journals in the year 2013. This analysis showed that in none of the studies in which the independent variable was qualitative with a structure, the data have been analyzed using orthogonal contrast procedure. Also, the data of only 34% of the studies in which the independent variable was quantitative have been analyzed using polynomial contrast (regression), whereas the data of only 13% of studies with a factorial design have been analyzed using contrast procedure. More attention should be paid on publishing only studies that used appropriate statistical procedures, which conform to the nature of the independent variables of interest.