I. Course Description

The emphasis of this course is on learning the basics of experimental design and the appropriate application and interpretation of statistical analysis of variance techniques.

II. Course Prerequisites

Statistics at the level of PubH 7405 and Stat 5101; and SAS and R (or S-Plus) programming experience; and familiarity with matrix notation; or permission of instructor. Co-requisite: enrollment in Stat 5102.

III. Course Goals and Objectives

Students will learn the art and science of obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting data with continuous outcomes and categorical covariates. Projects will include reading, writing, theoretical derivations, or computer programming. Topics include two-sample t-tests, ANOVAs with fixed and/or random factors, multiple comparison procedures, diagnostics, sample size calculations, and some non-parametric approaches, all within the context of specific types of experimental designs. Computing is done in this course using SAS and/or R (or S-Plus).

IV. Methods of Instruction and Work Expectations

Class meetings will be a mixture of lecture and discussion. Much useful information will be available for download from the course web page http://www.biostat.umn.edu/~tracyb/ph7406.html. Students are expected to attend class, participate in class discussions, and complete all assigned homework, projects, and exams. Students are also expected to complete assigned reading from the required materials. Lectures and the reading are meant to complement each other, not to repeat each other. Please complete the assigned reading from the required text BEFORE coming to class.

V. Course Text and Readings

Required:

*Kutner, Nachtsheim, Neter and Li (2005). Applied Linear Statistical Models, 5^th edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN 0-07-238688-6; available at the University Bookstore in Coffman Union.

*Lecture Notes are compiled in a course packet available at the University Bookstore in Coffman Union. They can also be individually downloaded and printed from the class website.

Optional: Several books on background material and further references on the material we will cover are on reserve in the Bio-Medical Library in Diehl Hall at the Reserve Desk:

(1) The required text.

(2) Kuehl (2000). Design of Experiments: Statistical Principles of Research Design

and Analysis, Second Edition. This is the previously used text for the course.

(3) Oehlert (2000). A First Course in Design and Analysis of Experiments.

(4) Yandell (1997). Practical Data Analysis for Designed Experiments.

(5) Dean and Voss (1999). Design and Analysis of Experiments.

(6) Hocking (1996). Methods and Applications of Linear Models.

(7) Box, Hunter, and Hunter (1978). Statistics for Experimenters.

In addition, the Biostatistics Reading Room (Mayo A-460) has full documentation for SAS Version 9, books on graphing in SAS, S-Plus documentation, introductory books for learning S-Plus and UNIX, and many other books on experimental design. The computer manuals cannot be checked out except to make copies, but can be browsed in the Reading Room.

VI. Course Outline/Weekly Schedule

Outline

§ Introduction

o Course administration

o Course motivation

§ Basic Principles of Experimental Design (Chapter 15)

o Experimental units and experimental factors

o Sources of errors

o Replication and randomization

o Principles of analysis

§ Completely Randomized Designs: One Factor (Chapters 16-18)

o Review of two-sample t-tests

o Review of Type I and II error, power, and sample size calculations

o One-way ANOVA to compare means

o The ANOVA-regression connection

o Contrasts and multiple comparisons

o Diagnostics and remedial measures

o Sample size calculations

o One-way ANOVA to compare variances

§ Completely Randomized Designs: Factorials (Chapter 19, 23-25)

o Two-way ANOVA for crossed factors

o Interactions and contrasts

o Sample size calculations

o Three-way and higher ANOVAs for crossed factors

o Unbalanced ANOVAs

o Completely randomized designs without replication

§ Variations on Factorial Designs (Chapter 26)

o Nested and crossed factor designs

o Fully nested designs

§ Randomized Block Designs (Chapters 21)

o Two-way and higher ANOVAs with blocking factors

o ANCOVA as an alternative to blocking

§ Other Designs (Chapters 27)

o Split plot designs

o Repeated measures designs

o Crossover designs

Time permitting, we will also cover Incomplete Block Designs (Chapter 28).

Homework

There will be six homework assignments during the semester. We encourage you to work together in computing and discussing the problems. However, each student is expected to independently write up the submitted assignment using her or his own computing and giving explanations in her or his own words. All assignments will involve computing; please attach only relevant computer output to what you turn in. Some assignments may also include reading, writing, theoretical derivations, or computer programming.

You will get two weeks to work on each homework assignment. The homework will be graded on a scale of 0 to 25 points, for a maximum of 150 points possible over the semester. Late homework will lose four points per day, unless arrangements for an extension have been made with the instructor PRIOR to the due date.

Exam

There will be two in class exams. Each exam is worth 50 points. A hand calculator with the ln and e functions will be needed.

Project

There will be a final project towards the end of the semester instead of a final exam. The project is worth 50 points. The project could take one of two structures:

(1) Obtain a data set for analysis; using relevant background information, determine several scientific questions to be answered by the data. Carry out a full analysis which addresses these scientific questions using any appropriate modeling strategies covered in class and discuss the results. A written report is required.

(2) Carry out a simulation to demonstrate or explore a concept we covered during the course, or an extension of the concepts we covered. A written report is required.

More details will be handed out in April. Each student must write a <1 page project proposal (by e-mail is fine) and get approval from the instructor. We will have a few data sets available for option (1) and a few ideas available for option (2) if you do not already have something you would like to work on.

VII. Evaluation and Grading

1. Homework: 50%

2. Midterm Exam: 33.3%

3. Final project: 16.7%

A letter grade will be determined from the percentage of (300 possible) points each student receives as follows:

B+ 87-89% C+ 77-79% D+ 67-69%

A 93-100% B 83-86% C 73-76% D 63-66%

A- 90-92% B- 80-82% C- 70-72% F 0-62%

For those enrolled S/N, a letter grade of C- or better must be achieved to receive an S. The University Senate has established a uniform grading policy for all letter grades: http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/usen/policies.html. If you would like to switch grading options (e.g., A/F to S/N), it must be done within the first two weeks of the semester.

Late homework will lose four points per day, unless arrangements for an extension have been made with the instructor PRIOR to the due date. Students who not take exams on the day scheduled by the professor will receive zero points for the exam. Students must obtain special permission from the professor in advance, in unusual emergency circumstances only, to sit for an exam on a day other than scheduled by the professor.

Course Evaluation

Beginning in fall 2008 the SPH will collect student course evaluations electronically using a software system called CoursEval. The system will send email notifications to students when they can access and complete their course evaluations. Students who complete their course evaluations promptly will be able to access their final grades just as soon as the faculty member renders the grade. All students will have access to their final grades two weeks after the last day of the semester regardless of whether they completed their course evaluation or not. Student feedback on course content and faculty teaching skills are important means for improving our work. Please take the time to complete a course evaluation for each of the courses for which you are registered.

Incomplete Contracts
A grade of incomplete “I” shall be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., documented illness or hospitalization, death in family, etc.), the student was prevented from completing the work of the course on time. The assignment of an “I” requires that a contract be initiated and completed by the student before the last day of class, and signed by both the student and instructor. If an incomplete is deemed appropriate by the instructor, the student in consultation with the instructor, will specify the time and manner in which the student will complete course requirements. Extension for completion of the work will not exceed one year (or earlier if designated by the student’s college). For more information and to initiate an incomplete contract, students should go to: www.sph.umn.edu/grades.

University of Minnesota Uniform Grading and Transcript Policy

A link to the policy can be found at onestop.umn.edu.

VIII. Other Course Information and Policies

Grade Option Change (if applicable)

For full-semester courses, students may change their grade option, if applicable, through the second week of the semester. Grade option change deadlines for other terms (i.e. summer and half-semester courses) can be found at onestop.umn.edu.

Course Withdrawal

Students should refer to the Refund and Drop/Add Deadlines for the particular term at onestop.umn.edu for information and deadlines for withdrawing from a course. As a courtesy, students should notify their instructor and, if applicable, advisor of their intent to withdraw.

Students wishing to withdraw from a course after the noted final deadline for a particular term must contact the School of Public Health Student Services Center at sph-ssc@umn.edu for further information.

Student Conduct, Scholastic Dishonesty and Sexual Harassment Policies

Students are responsible for knowing the University of Minnesota, Board of Regents' policy on Student Conduct and Sexual Harassment found at www.umn.edu/regents/polindex.html.

Students are responsible for maintaining scholastic honesty in their work at all times. Students engaged in scholastic dishonesty will be penalized, and offenses will be reported to the Office of Student Academic Integrity (OSAI, www.osai.umn.edu).

The University’s Student Conduct Code defines scholastic dishonesty as “plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; or altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying of data, research procedures, or data analysis.”

Plagiarism is an important element of this policy. It is defined as the presentation of another's writing or ideas as your own. Serious, intentional plagiarism will result in a grade of "F" or "N" for the entire course. For more information on this policy and for a helpful discussion of preventing plagiarism, please consult University policies and procedures regarding academic integrity: http://writing.umn.edu/tww/plagiarism/.

Students are urged to be careful that they properly attribute and cite others' work in their own writing. For guidelines for correctly citing sources, go to http://tutorial.lib.umn.edu/ and click on “Citing Sources”.

In addition, original work is expected in this course. It is unacceptable to hand in assignments for this course for which you receive credit in another course unless by prior agreement with the instructor. Building on a line of work begun in another course or leading to a thesis, dissertation, or final project is acceptable.

Disability Statement

It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or systemic) that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact Disability Services to have a confidential discussion of their individual needs for accommodations. Disability Services is located in Suite180 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street. Staff can be reached by calling 612/626-1333 (voice or TTY).