COURSE TITLE: BIOSTATISTICS AND RESEARCH METHODS

COURSE CODE: ANR 312

Aim
The course will provide an overview of the important concepts of research Proposal
writing, research design, data collection, statistical and interpretative analysis, and final
report the presentation. The course is designed to equip students in the use of research
to solve real life problems and in scientific report writing

Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the students should be able to:
1) formulate research questions and translate them into feasible trials, arrive at
decisions using basic statistics
2) design efficient experimental plans and use appropriate Experimental Designs
for answering different research questions
3) analyze, interpret and present research results

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Course Outline

1. Introduction
 Definitions of research
 The principles of research: It is original in nature, It can be replicated, It
applies falsification

2. The Research Proposal

 Factors influencing the definition of topics
 The essential ingredients of the proposal: The problem at hand, how it will be
solved, benefits of the doing the research
 Qualities of an effective research Proposal
 What is contained in a typical research proposal: - the Introduction (Chapter
1) (Title, introduction, Problem identification, Objectives, Justification): the
Review of Related Literature and (Chapter 2); and the Methodology (Chapter
3) (Methods, expected results)

3. Types of research
 Qualitative vs quantitative
 Descriptive vs Analytical (Use of Surveys vs use of already existing data);
 Applied versus Fundamental (Applied research in organisation vs
formulation of theory)
 Conceptual versus Empirical: (Abstract ideas or theory vs observation or
experiment)

4. Research Process (steps/procedural guidelines in conducting research):

 formulating the research problem; extensive literature survey; developing
hypothesis; preparing the research design and determining sample design;
collecting data; analysis of data; processing of data, hypothesis testing and
generalization and interpretation, and preparation of the report
or presentation of the results and conclusions.
5. Measurement and scales
 Direct and indirect measurements,
 Types of data and measurement scales
 Sources of errors
 Test of sound measurements
 Data collection methods
 Sampling designs: –Probability vs non probability sampling (pitfalls,
advantages), Sampling unit, sampling frame, sample size, budgetary
constraint, sampling procedure, sampling errors.

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6. Describing sets of data

 Statistics - definition and scope of statistics; importance of statistics in
agriculture; inductive and deductive reasoning
 Definitions and explanation of terms used in statistics – population, sample,
random sample, target population, sampled population, parameter, statistic
or estimate, variable, variate, measures of central tendency, dispersion and
variability

7. Sampling distributions
 The t – distribution
 One – tailed hypothesis concerning the sample mean
 Two – tailed hypothesis concerning the sample means
 Paired sample hypothesis
 The f – distribution
 Multiple sample hypothesis

8. Analysis of enumeration data

 The chi-square distribution
 Testing for goodness of fit
 Contingency tables

9. Principles of experimental designs

10. Analysis of variance, experiments with a single factor

 Completely randomized design
  Randomized complete block design
 Latin square designs
 Lattice designs

11. Comparisons between treatment means

 Planned comparisons
 Unplanned comparisons

12. Analysis of variance, experiments with more than one factor (factorial
experiments)
 Basic definitions and principles
 The general factorial design
 Factor interactions
 The split-plot
 The 2k factorial design

13. Regression and correlation

14. Presentation of research results

Contact hours
4 hours lectures per week
1 hour practical session per week

Assessment
Continuous Assessment 50%
Class Participation 5%
Tests and quizzes 35%
Assignments 10%
Final Examination 50%

Prescribed Text
Kothari, C.R. (1990). Research methodology: methods and techniques, 2nd. Ed.,
Wishwa Prakashan, New Delhi

Recommended text
1) Douglas C Montgomery. 2001(or Latest Edition). Design and Analysis of
Experiments. Wiley Student Edition, 5th Edition.
2) Kumar, Ranjit (1999). Research methodology: a step by step guide for
beginners, 2nd. ed., Sage, London
3) Kwachai A. Gomez and Arturo A Gomez. 1988 (or Latest Edition). Statistical
Procedures for Agricultural Research. 2nd Edition.
4) Weiss, N.A. 2008. Introductory Statistics. 8th (or Latest) Edition. New York:
Pearson Education Inc. ISBN 0-321-46854-6
5) University of Nottingham, (2013). Code of Research Conduct and Research
Ethics, version 4, UK
6) Publications handbook style manual. XXXX. American Society of
Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America.
Madison, Wisconsin