Читать книгу Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis for Pharmacology and the Biomedical Sciences - Paul J. Mitchell - Страница 12

For the last 25 years or so, I have become increasingly involved in teaching the fundamentals of statistical analysis of experimental data to, initially, pharmacy and pharmacology undergraduates but, more lately, undergraduates in other disciplines (e.g. natural sciences, biomedical sciences, biology, biochemistry, psychology, and toxicology) and postgraduate students and early researchers in these and more specific areas of pharmacological research (e.g. neuropharmacology). Throughout this time, I have become increasingly aware of the statistical rigour required by scientific journals for publication of scientific papers to be approved. However, this has been coupled with increased anxiety on the part of both new and experienced researchers as to whether their statistical approach is correct for the data generated by their studies. These observations suggest that in the past the teaching of experimental design and statistical analysis has been poor across the sector. Indeed, if I mention stats (sic) to most researchers, they hold their hands to their face and perform an imitation of Edvard Munch's Der Schrei der Natur (‘The Scream of Nature’, or more commonly known as just ‘The Scream’)! Statistical analysis is often viewed as burdensome and an inconvenient chore, generally borne out of ignorance and a lack of appreciation of how useful rigorous statistical analysis may be.

Der Schrei der Natur (circa 1893), Edvard Munch (1863–1944)

I'll give you three examples: