Experimental Design and Data Analysis for Biologists

Description

Successful completion of BIOL209 is a pre-requisite for BIOL309, as the concepts covered
here lead on directly from those developed in the previous semester.

BIOL309 is essential for all students who intend to pursue postgraduate studies or go on to a career in any branch of biological research.

The aim of BIOL309 is to build on the concepts developed in BIOL209 to provide training in the use of advanced statistical techniques and in the design and analysis of biological experiments.

The biological focus applies both to the choice of relevant methods and the specific examples discussed. The examples will cover a wide range of biology, from biochemistry to ecology, although you should not expect every topic to be illustrated with an example from your specific area of interest in biology.

Note that one goal of the course is to prepare students for postgraduate research programmes and jobs in research organisations, and this affects the choice of course content and style.

The course covers data analysis, and emphases how familiar tests such as analysis of variance
and linear regression can be extended to provide a flexible suite of techniques which can be applied to a variety of situations. This knowledge will be applied to the design of experiments,
covering concepts such as replication, power and repeated measures.

An experiment can be designed properly only on the basis of knowledge of the statistical test that will eventually be required. This emphasis on the need to consider data analysis as an integral part of the experimental design process means that topics will build on one another in sequence.