In experimental work, the primary function of statistics is to increase the clarity, conciseness, and objectivity with which results are presented and interpreted. Statistical analysis and interpretation are the least critical aspects of interpretation, in that if purely statistical or interpretive errors are made, the data can be reanalyzed. On the other hand, the only complete remedy for design or execution errors is repetition of the experiment.

Stuart H. Hulbert, “Pseudoreplication and Experimental Design”, in Ecological Monographs, Volume 54, Number 2