BIOS 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Blind Experiment, Foodborne Illness, Dependent And Independent Variables
Document Summary
A research project goes through a set of stages. The interesting aspect is that the process is cyclical, beginning with a question, and ending with other questions which were raised by doing the research. The following chart was taken from the text: Systematic error an error that has a (cid:494)fixed(cid:495) magnitude and consistently in the same. Random error an error that varies in magnitude and in direction (typically it will cancel direction. Another name for systematic error is bias. out by averaging). The specific aims guide the entire project, and essentially set the stage for how the other aspects will be decided. The target population is conceptually the group to which the research applies. When the results are in they will apply to the target population (external validity issue) A parameter is a numerical characteristic of the population that is of interest in the study. Ex: the average reduction in systolic blood pressure for some treatment.
