Limitations of statistics

The statistical model is simple: Extrapolate from the sample you collected to a more general situation, assuming that each value in your sample was randomly and independently selected from a large population. The problem is that the statistical inferences can only apply to the population from which your samples were obtained, but you often want to make conclusions that extrapolate even beyond that large population. For example, you perform an experiment in the lab three times. All the experiments used the same cell preparation, the same buffers, and the same equipment. Statistical inferences let you make conclusions about what would happen if you repeated the experiment many more times with that same cell preparation, those same buffers, and the same equipment. You probably want to extrapolate further to what would happen if someone else repeated the experiment with a different source of cells, freshly made buffer, and different instruments. Unfortunately, statistical calculations can't help with this further extrapolation. You must use scientific judgment and common sense to make inferences that go beyond the limitations of statistics. Thus, statistical logic is only part of data interpretation.