Experimental Kit: Stage 3
Analysis and Reporting
Stage 3: Implementation
With your data now collected, the final stage is to assess the impact of the intervention(s) through rigorous pre-specified statistical analysis. This stage ensures that the trial results are interpreted accurately and made available to the wider research community to inform future policy and practice.
Analysis
The first step is to analyze the data according to the primary and secondary analytical strategies specified in your trial protocol. A key principle here is Intention-to-Treat (ITT) analysis, which includes all participants in the group they were originally assigned to, regardless of whether they fully complied with the intervention. This approach preserves the benefits of randomisation and avoids bias. Analysis usually involves the use of statistical software such as Stata, R, or Excel.
Reporting the experiment
Transparently reporting your trial is crucial so that others can assess the quality of your research. Results are typically shared in journal articles or formal reports. To maintain high standards, researchers often use the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement, which includes a 25-item checklist and a participant flow diagram to show how every participant progressed through the trial.
Data management and storage
Good research practice involves securely holding raw data so it can be verified or used for secondary analysis by other researchers in the future. You must consider how to:
- Record and back up primary data and analysis files (e.g., syntax or Stata do files) in secure, accessible formats.
- Ensure digital continuity so records remain accessible over the long term.
- Comply with specific requirements from academic journals, universities, or funding organisations regarding storage duration and formats.
Presenting results
The culmination of an experiment is the communication of findings through written and visual outputs. Since different audiences – such as policymakers, practitioners or academics – have different needs, it is important to tailor your communication efforts to the channels and formats appropriate for each audience, and to highlight the most relevant actionable lessons and causal insights.
For more details about the experiment stages, see our RCTs guide.