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Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Defined term · Statistics and inference

Missing data

Observations not collected. The assumption under which they are handled is rarely testable and is the most common unstated assumption in a trial report.

Document identifier
CEI-GT-085
Series
Defined term
Version
1.0
Published
30 Jul 2026
Last reviewed
30 Jul 2026
Certainty
Not rated

§1Missing data

§1.2Category

Statistics and inference — Terms describing how effects are estimated and how uncertainty is expressed.

§1.3Related terms

  • Multiple imputation — A method for handling missing data by generating several completed datasets under a stated model and combining the results. Depends entirely on the plausibility of the…
  • Attrition — Loss of participants from a trial before its primary analysis timepoint. Differential attrition between arms threatens the comparability that randomisation established.
Compound Evidence Institute · CEI-GT-085 · https://compoundevidence.com/glossary/missing-data/ · retrieved 30 July 2026
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