study design

Fukuyama tells us that history is ended. For the sake of the exercise, imagine the beginning of history. Small groups of humans roaming ancient forests and savannas, expending most of their time looking for food. The one that we are looking at has just found a familiar mushroom. Probably is the third or the second time that he picks it. Today hunger makes him swallow it whole. After few convulsions, he died poisoned. Those humans unable to account the results of previous experiments, die. There is no doubt that the good experimentalist lived longer, and probably survived to be our ancestor.

Ended or not, history happened. Nowadays the skill of the experimental designer might not be a matter of personal survivorship. Still, it can be about budget survivorship. A replicate more is by no means a cheap feat, and only a careful design can prevent unneeded replicates. On the other side, after a long experiment, realize that more replicates where needed... In Scilla and Charibdis Research we have the expertise to design and analyze pilot experiments, in order to provide sound advice on the design of a main experiment. Tailored power analyses are among our most used tools.

The so-called hard sciences pray themselves as experimentalists. This view does not impair a properly designed observational study. In many study cases we can not manipulate reality, so instead of experiments we prepare sets of carefully planned observations. In Scilla and Charibdis Research we also have a long experience in enquiries’ design, administration and analysis. Reduce the time used in understand your results! Contact us and plan your enquire or experiment ahead.