Notes on designing an experiment
Justification for the design
For a simple design, you need to justify the amount of
replication.
If there is too much replication then the
experiment may waste time and money. If animals are to be
sacrificed, it is unethical to use too many.
If there is too little replication then any genuine differences
between treatments may be masked by the differences among the
experimental units. An experiment which is too small to give any
conclusions is also a waste of resources. It is also an unethical
use of animals or people.
More details should be given to justify more complex designs.
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R. A. Bailey
Page updated 17/11/01