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USEARCH v11

Calculating statistical significance for alpha diversity comparison

See also
  alpha_div_sig command
 
Which alpha and beta diversity metrics are recommended?
  Comparing diversity between sample categories
  Interpreting alpha and beta diversity
  Alpha diversity
  Beta diversity
  Abundance bias
  Cross-talk

Use the alpha_div_sig command to calculate statistical significance for a difference in diversity between sample categories.

The multiple test problem and fishing for significance
If you have designed an experiment to test a hypothesis, and this hypothesis suggests that a given metric will change in a given way, then you can use a standard test such as Wilcoxon on the metric that was predicted to change. However, it is not valid to systematically try several metrics to check if one of them gives a statistically significant change between groups. This is fishing for significance, which causes a multiple test problem. If you do this, you should adjust your P-values using the Holm-Bonferroni method or other applicable technique.