What does "Complete Case Analysis" mean?
Table of Contents
Complete case analysis is a method used in research when some information is missing. Instead of trying to guess what the missing data might be, this approach only looks at the cases where all the data is available. This can help give clear results but also has some issues.
When is it used?
Researchers often use complete case analysis when they have a study with many people, but some of their data is not complete. This method helps in making the analysis simpler and easier to understand, especially when the missing data is not too large.
Advantages
- Simplicity: It is straightforward since it only involves the cases with complete data.
- Clear Results: It can provide clear and easy-to-interpret results, as it avoids complicated methods to handle missing data.
Disadvantages
- Loss of Information: By excluding cases with missing data, researchers may lose important information that could help in understanding the full picture.
- Bias Risk: If the missing data is not random, the results can be biased, meaning they may not accurately reflect what’s happening in the entire group.
When is it appropriate?
Complete case analysis can be a good choice when the reasons for missing data are well understood, and the missing cases are not too many. It’s important to be careful and think about whether this method will give results that represent the entire population being studied.