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Table 1 Suggested narrative statements for phrasing conclusions

From: There is life beyond the statistical significance

Certainty of the evidence

Effect size

Suggested statements for conclusions (replace X with intervention, choose ‘reduce’ or ‘increase’ depending on the direction of the effect, replace ‘outcome’ with name of outcome, include ‘when compared with Y’ when needed)

High

Large

X results in a large reduction/increase in outcome

Moderate

X reduces/increases outcome

X results in a reduction/increase in outcome

Small important effect

X reduces/increases outcome slightly

X results in a slight reduction/increase in outcome

Unimportant or no effect

X results in little to no difference in outcome

X does not reduce/increase outcome

Moderate

Large

X likely results in a large reduction/increase in outcome

X probably results in a large reduction/increase in outcome

Moderate

X likely reduces/increases outcome

X probably reduces/increases outcome

X likely results in a reduction/increase in outcome

X probably results in a reduction/increase in outcome

Small important effect

X probably reduces/increases outcome slightly

X likely reduces/increases outcome slightly

X probably results in a slight reduction/increase in outcome

X likely results in a slight reduction/increase in

Unimportant or no effect

X likely results in little to no difference in outcome

X probably results in little to no difference in outcome

X likely does not reduce/increase outcome

X probably does not reduce/increase outcome

Low

Large

X may result in a large reduction/increase in outcome

The evidence suggests X results in a large reduction/increase in outcome

Moderate

X may reduce/increase outcome

The evidence suggests X reduces/increases outcome

X may result in a reduction/increase in outcome

The evidence suggests X results in a reduction/increase in outcome

Small important effect

X may reduce/increase outcome slightly

The evidence suggests X reduces/increases outcome slightly

X may result in a slight reduction/increase in outcome

The evidence suggests X results in a slight reduction/increase in outcome

Unimportant or no effect

X may result in little to no difference in outcome

The evidence suggests that X results in little to no difference in outcome

X may not reduce/increase outcome

The evidence suggests that X does not reduce/increase outcome

Very low

Any effect

The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of X on outcome

X may reduce/increase/have little to no effect on outcome but the evidence is very uncertain