Evidence-appraisal glossary
Bonferroni Correction
A simple way to control false positives when many hypotheses are tested at once: divide the significance threshold by the number of comparisons. It makes each individual test harder to pass.
Also called: Bonferroni adjustment.
Testing many hypotheses at the usual threshold multiplies the chance that at least one crosses the line by luck alone. The Bonferroni correction guards against this by requiring each test to meet a stricter bar, so the combined chance of any false positive stays controlled. It is easy to apply and makes no assumptions about how the tests relate, but it can be overly strict when comparisons are numerous or correlated, raising the risk of missing real effects. Less conservative alternatives address the same problem while preserving more power.
Read the full Reading the Evidence blog.
This is a plain-language methodology definition for reading research. It is general education, not medical advice.