BIOL309-19S2 (C) Semester Two 2019

Experimental Design and Data Analysis for Biologists

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 15 July 2019
End Date: Sunday, 10 November 2019
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 26 July 2019
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 27 September 2019

Description

Advanced experimental design and statistical techniques for biologists. This course is essential for all students considering postgraduate study in biological sciences.

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.

Learning Outcomes

  • By the end of this course, you should have achieved the following:
    1. A clear understanding of a wide range of statistical tests, including analysis of
       variance, linear regression, non-parametric tests and generalised linear models;
    2. Proficiency in the transcription and manipulation of data statistical packages;
    3. A solid understanding of experimental design;
    4. Proficiency in the analysis of a wide range of biological data.

    Transferable Skills Register:
  • The ability to phrase statistically rigorous, biologically interesting hypotheses
  • The ability to identify the best experimental design to test specific biological questions
  • Proficiency with a diverse array of statistical tests and data manipulations in the R
    programming environment
  • The ability to interpret statistical results presented in scientific papers
  • The ability to communicate the biological meaning of statistical tests.

Prerequisites

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Jason Tylianakis

Lecturer

Zach Marion

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Final Exam 50%
Lab assessments 30%
Mid semester Test 20%

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Crawley, Michael J; Statistics : an introduction using R ; Second edition; John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2014.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $883.00

International fee $4,000.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Biological Sciences .

All BIOL309 Occurrences

  • BIOL309-19S2 (C) Semester Two 2019