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Unit of study_
BIOL2022: Biology Experimental Design and Analysis
2025 unit information
This unit provides foundational skills essential for doing research in biology and for critically judging the research of others. We consider how biology is practiced as a quantitative, experimental and theoretical science. We focus on the underlying principles and practical skills you need to explore questions and test hypotheses, particularly where background variation (error) is inherently high. In so doing, the unit provides you with an understanding of how biological research is designed, analysed and interpreted using statistics. Lectures focus on sound experimental and statistical principles, using examples in ecology and other fields of biology to demonstrate concepts. In the practical sessions, you will design and perform, analyse (using appropriate statistical tools) and interpret your own experiments to answer research questions in topics relevant to your particular interest. This unit of study provides a suitable foundation for senior biology units of study.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
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BIOL1XXX or MBLG1XXX or ENVX1001 or ENVX1002 or DATA1X01 or MATH1XX5 or ENVI1003 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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BIOL2922 or BIOL3006 or BIOL3906 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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BIOL1XXX or MBLG1XXX; and one first year statistics unit (such as ENVX1002, DATA1001, MATH1005, MATH1115) |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand the process of experimental design and analysis in biological research
- LO2. Understand the concepts of the frequentist approach to statistics and null hypothesis testing
- LO3. Understand the characteristics of data amenable to classic parametric statistics, non-parametric and permutational statistics
- LO4. Understand the philosophical difference between the frequentist approach, and information-theory and Bayesian approaches
- LO5. Appreciate classic parametric statistics and their application in biological research
- LO6. Appreciate the principles underpinning the common techniques for analysing multi-variate data
- LO7. Design, analyse with appropriate software, and interpret simple experiments with uni- and multi-variate data, developed from initial biological questions and observations
- LO8. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of biological research, in terms of experimental design, analysis and interpretation
- LO9. Communicate concisely and with clarity the process, outcomes and implications of biological research, verbally and in plain written English
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
