17. Interpretation/ scientific implications Interpret the results, taking into account the study objectives and hypotheses, current theory, and other relevant studies in the literature. explanation

It is important to interpret the results of the study in the context of the study objectives (see item 13 – Objectives). For hypothesis-testing studies, interpretations should be restricted to the primary outcome (see item 6 – Outcome measures). Exploratory results derived from additional outcomes should not be described as conclusive, as they may be underpowered and less reliable.

Discuss the findings in the context of current theory, ideally with reference to a relevant systematic review, as individual studies do not provide a complete picture. If a systematic review is not available, take care to avoid selectively citing studies that corroborate the results, or only those that report statistically significant findings [1].

Where appropriate, describe any implications of the experimental methods or research findings for improving welfare standards or reducing the number of animals used in future studies (e.g. the use of a novel approach reduced the results’ variability, thus enabling the use of smaller group sizes without losing statistical power). This may not be the primary focus of the research but reporting this information enables wider dissemination and uptake of refined techniques within the scientific community.

References

1. Glasziou P, Altman DG, Bossuyt P, Boutron I, Clarke M, Julious S, Michie S, Moher D and Wager E (2014). Reducing waste from incomplete or unusable reports of biomedical research. Lancet (London, England). doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(13)62228-x