User:Chandaniep/SANDBOX

Course Team


Chandanie Navaratna attached to the Dept. of Maths and Comp. Science of the Open University of Sri Lanka. My research interests are in the area of Statistics.

[[Image:Kumudu.jpg|left]]
Kumudu Rajapakse attached to the Dept. of Zoology of the Open University of Sri Lanka. My research interests are in the area of Zoology.

Introduction to the course
This course helps you to understand how Statistical techniques are applied in Biological Research projects.

Aim of the course
The course provides the students with basic skills using the most common statistical models and analyzes in biological research.

Target Group

This course is for students planning to carry out a biological project. An understanding of basic mathematics is an advantage in successfully following this course.

Contents of the course

 * Introduction to statistical concepts: random variation, bias, confounding, sample, populaton, estimation
 * data types, data collection techniques, sample size calculations
 * basic statistical concepts such as mean, standard deviation
 * statistical test, p-value, and confidence interval
 * estimation on a single population
 * comparison of two or more populations

To ease the understanding, the course content is divided into three sessions:


 * 1) Data Collection
 * 2) Descriptive Data Analysis
 * 3) Making inference about populations based on observed data

Data Collection
Before moving on to how statistical techniques helps you to in data collection suitable for making valid conclusions about populations, we need to have an understanding on some basic statistical concepts. The following link allows you to understand these techniques.

http://ocw.jhsph.edu/courses/introbiostats/PDFs/IntroBiostats-sec1b_McGready.pdf

A good understanding of data types is essential for selecting a suitable technique for data collection. We invite you to click on the link data types to familliarise with different data types.

http://ocw.jhsph.edu/courses/introbiostats/PDFs/IntroBiostats-sec1b_McGready.pdf

Self Assessment Question

Give an example of quntitative ordinal data.

Design of the study
When you are planning or designing a study, you willl come across the following tight points:


 * 1) deciding sample size
 * 2) selecting study participants or experimental units
 * 3) how to collect the data

For more details please read [designing a study http://ocw.jhsph.edu/courses/introbiostats/PDFs/IntroBiostats-sec1a_McGready.pdf]]