Medical researchers often _____ patient testimonials in clinical studies because anecdotal evidence lacks the statistical rigor required for peer-revi...

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Create Passage Analysis Table

Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: Medical researchers typically reject patient testimonials because personal stories do not meet the statistical standards required for scientific publication.

Argument Flow: The passage presents a cause-and-effect relationship where researchers take a specific action regarding patient testimonials, and this action is justified by the inadequacy of anecdotal evidence for rigorous scientific standards.

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

• The logical relationship here is clear from our analysis
• We have researchers doing something with patient testimonials, and the reason given is that anecdotal evidence lacks statistical rigor needed for scientific publication
• Since the evidence is inadequate for scientific standards, researchers would logically reject or disregard these testimonials rather than use them
• The right answer should show researchers rejecting patient testimonials because they do not meet scientific standards