1 - Design of Experiments Flashcards

Module 1 DATA1001

Domain knowledge

Background information that helps us to understand the context and nature of the data.

Reproducible research

Requires data sets and software to be made available for verifying published findings and conducting alternative analyses.

Placebo

A pretend treatment designed to be neutral and indistinguishable from the actual treatment.

Placebo effect

An effect which occurs from the participant thinking they have had the treatment.

Randomised Controlled Double-Blind Trial

A trial where both the participants and the investigators are not aware of the identity of the two groups.

Selection bias

Occurs when some participants are more likely to be chosen to be in the study than others.

Observer bias

Occurs when the participants or investigators are aware of the identity of the 2 groups, and so we can get bias in either the responses or evaluations.

Confounding (or confusion)

Occurs when the Treatment and Control Groups differ by some third variable which influences the response that is being studied.

Observational Study

Study in which the investigator cannot use randomisation for allocation to groups; assignment of subjects is outside the control of the investigator.

Contemporaneous control group

A control group that occurs at the same time as the treatment group.

Simpson’s Paradox

Relationships between percentages in subgroups are reversed when the subgroups are combined, because of a confounding or lurking variable.

Data provenance

Documentation of where the data came from

Controlled Experiment

An experiment where the investigator can use randomisation for allocation to groups

Consent bias

Arises when participants choose whether or not they take part in the experiment which may lead to a non-representative sample and skew the results.

Survivor bias

Occurs when the focus is only on surviving subjects, overlooking those that did not survive, which can distort the true effect of a treatment or condition.

Adherer bias

Arises when participants who adhere to the treatment protocol are systematically different from those who do not, potentially leading to skewed conclusions about treatment effectiveness.