Help! How do I determine which statistical test is appropriate for my research?

The appropriate use of statistics is crucial for generating new knowledge, predicting outcomes, and making decisions in our daily lives. Unfortunately, the teaching and learning of statistics can be challenging. Students tend to be apprehensive about taking statistics classes and often experience anxiety when learning statistics. Some of this apprehension and anxiety may stem from the complex and often unintuitive concepts used in statistics. There is also continued criticism of the application of statistical tests and the resulting outcomes. While quality statistics educators can help students understand the value of statistics, a gap persists in understanding which statistical test is most appropriate. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the most commonly used statistical tests and provide logic models to help identify the appropriate statistical test for quantitative research studies. While detailed logic models exist, the goal is to provide a resource that utilises general terminology and models applicable to most academic disciplines. This results in models that are easier for a broader audience to understand. The primary audiences for this guide are undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers seeking to gain a deeper understanding of statistical techniques.