Basic Statistical Design of Experiments

Scientific Research

 A study conducted in contribution to science by a systematic collection, interpretation, and

evaluation of data
 Must be systematically planned before performing it.

What are the roles of statistics in scientific research?

In scientific research, statistics deals with:

T3
Treatment or Factor

 Includes the different procedures or conditions to be compared

Treatment Levels

 Pre-set quantities of a quantitative treatment or categories of a treatment under study

Example:

1. Type of sugar (Icing, Granulated, Dark Muscovado)

2. Type of irrigation system (surface, sprinkler, drip, subsurface)
3. Teaching methods (online, Face-to-Face, Blended)

Try this…
Note: Unit is kg/ha

Experimental Error consists of the pooled variation among the 5 plots in the same sulfur application.

Sampling Error consists of pooled variation among the three hotdogs taken from the same package.

Experimental Error

 variation in the observed values of the response variable from experimental units treated alike

Some Sources of Experimental Error

 inherent variability of the experimental materials used

 errors in experimentation
 errors in observations and measurements
 combined effects of all extraneous factors

Sampling Error

 Measure of variation among sampling units within an experimental unit

Fixed Effects

- All factors under test are ‘fixed’ factors

- A factor is considered ‘fixed’ when its levels are selected on purpose
 Interest is in the effects of the selected levels of a fixed factor
 No inferences shall be directed at any treatment level that is not included in the experiment

Random Effects

- all factors under test are ‘random’ factors

- a factor is considered ‘random’ when the levels of the factors tested are a random sample from
a population of levels
 interest is in the population of treatment levels from which the random sample of treatment
levels was drawn
 population of treatments will then be described in terms of the sampled treatments

Example:

A drug study uses 0 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg of an experimental drug.

Experiment Randomized Experiment

Characterized by the following:
1. Presence of treatments and experimental
units to be used,
2. By the way treatments are assigned to
units, and
3. By the responses that are measured.
 An experiment where the assignment of
units to treatment groups is randomized
 Goal is to see the effect of the treatment
while controlling for other factors
 Presents the strongest support for
causation
RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENT

Replication

 Is needed for the validity of the experiment

 Is the repetition of the application of treatments on a number of experimental units

Functions of replication:

 To provide an estimate of the experimental error

 To increase the precision of the estimates of the parameter
 To increase the scope of the experiment

Randomization

 Aside from providing ways to estimate experimental error, the estimate should also be valid.
 This is done through randomization or a process that ensures treatments will have an equal
chance of being assigned to an experimental unit.

Local Control (Error Control)

 Is any technique used to minimize the experimental error

 Makes the design efficient by making the tests more sensitive and powerful
 Common Techniques of Local Control:
 Use of the most appropriate experimental design
 Use the proper shape and size of the experimental unit
 Use of concomitant variable
 Grouping, blocking, or balancing
Note:

Experimental Design

 Concerns with planning experiments in order to obtain the maximum amount of information
from the available sources
 Involves the assignment of treatments to the experimental units
Completely Randomized Design

 Treatments are assigned completely at random

 Each experimental unit has the same chance of receiving any treatment
 Any difference among experimental units receiving the same treatment – considered
experimental error
 Appropriate for homogeneous experimental units – lab experiments
o Environmental conditions – easily controlled as compared to field

Example:

- 30 pots (1-30)
- 3 treatments (A, B, C)
- Each pot is going to receive a single treatment
- Treatments are assigned at random

Experimental Layout

Sources of Variation:

 Treatments – the source of variation of interest

 Experimental Error – factors beyond control

Actual Example:

Determine and lay out the experimental design of the effects of fertilizer dose on the fresh weight of
plants.
  Experimental Design – CRD
 Independent variable – fertilizer doses
 Treatments – different doses of fertilizer (A, B, C)
 Dependent (response) variable – the fresh weight of plants

Fresh Weight (g)of Plants under Different Doses of Fertilizer

Note: Raw data table

Randomized Complete Block Design

 Most widely used experimental design in field research

 A primary distinguishing feature of RCBD from CRD is the presence of blocks of equal size
 Each block contains all treatments
 Purpose of blocking is to reduce experimental error
 By eliminating a known source of variation among experimental units other than
treatment
 Experimental units are grouped into blocks according to the known or suspected source of
variation
 Known source of variation
 May exist in the form of a gradient – in one direction
 Can be isolated by the blocks
 Conditions – the source of variation
 As homogeneous as possible within blocks
 May differ greatly within blocks
 Each block has all treatments
 The source of variation other than treatment can be corrected
 Treatments are assigned at random within each block
 Complete randomization within a block
 Each block is with a separate randomization
 Flexible design – any number of treatments and blocks possible
 Long and narrow blocks – designed
 Length of blocks – perpendicular to the direction of the gradient
 If there are two sources of variation that occur in a gradient – use Latin Square Design
Example: Effects of fertilizer dose on the fresh weight of plants

 Experimental design – RCBD

 Independent variable – fertilizer doses
 Treatments – different doses of fertilizer (A-H)
 Dependent (response) variable – the fresh weight of plants

The fresh weight of plants is measured after 6 months of planting to see the effect of fertilizer in the
field trial. There is a river on one side – soil near the river is more moist and decreases as we move
away from it.

 Can be effectively analyzed through ANOVA

 Three sources of variability in RCBD
 Treatment – a variation of interest
 Block – unavoidable variation
 Experimental error
Latin Square Design

 RCBD – minimizes the contribution of one source of variation other than treatment
 LSD can handle two sources of variation that occur in a gradient
 Every treatment occurs only once in each row and column

For example, a field has a river on one side and a road on the other side

 Can have a maximum of only 16 plots

 A, B, C, D are types of treatments
 Each treatment appears only once in a row (river gradient, A) and column (road gradient, B)

Example: Effects of fertilizer dose on the fresh weight of plants

 Experimental design – LSD

 Independent variable – fertilizer doses
 Treatments – different doses of fertilizer (A, B, C, D)
 Dependent (response) variable – fresh weight of plants

Fresh Weight (g)of Plants under Different Doses of Fertilizer

Note: Raw data table