ABSTRACT
It is easy to be disheartened by the task of conducting an observational study. The development of a coding system is often long and arduous, training reliable coders can be an uphill journey, and data entry can be wearisome. The feeling of intimidation perhaps becomes most acute when faced with the data analysis task. The investigator typically faces questions such as these: Do I need to conduct sequential analyses? What is the correct method? Do I have enough data? Our hope is that this chapter will give the reader a solid start in answering these questions. Furthermore, we hope to point readers toward excellent resources that will help them complete their investigations.
