Comparing variable and feature selection strategies for prediction - protocol of a simulation study in low-dimensional transplantation data.

The integration of machine learning methodologies has become prevalent in the development of clinical prediction models, often suggesting superior performance compared to traditional statistical techniques. Within the scope of low-dimensional datasets, encompassing both classical and machine learning paradigms, we plan to undertake a comparison of variable selection methodologies through simulation-based analysis. The principal aim is the comparison of the variable selection strategies with respect to relative predictive accuracy and its variability, with a secondary aim the comparison of descriptive accuracy. We use six distinct statistical learning approaches across both data generation and model learning. The present manuscript is a protocol for the corresponding simulation study registration (Study registration Open Science Framework ID: k6c8f). We describe the planned steps through the Aims, Data, Estimands, Methods, and Performance framework for simulation study design and reporting.