3 - reporting and critical evaluation of biological research

Question 1

Describe the contents of the background, title and abstract

Question 2

What must an aim link?

Answer 2

An aim must link the independent and dependent variables.

Question 3

What should the information in an introduction support?

Answer 3

The introduction should provide any information required to support: choices of method, results and discussion

Question 4

What should an introduction explain?

Answer 4

An introduction should explain why the study has been carried out and place the study in the context of existing understanding.

Question 5

Several sources should be selected to support ______, and citations and references should be in a standard form.

Answer 5

statements

Question 6

Decisions regarding basic selection of study ______ and _______ should be covered, as should the aims and hypotheses.

Answer 6

methods, organisms

Question 7

What should a method contain?

Answer 7

A method section should contain sufficient information to allow another investigator to repeat the work.

Question 8

What should experimental design address?

Answer 8

Experimental design should address the aim and test the hypothesis

Question 9

Describe the importance of evaluating the validity and reliability of the experimental design

Answer 9

The validity and reliability of the experimental design should be evaluated. An experimental design that does not address the intended aim or test the hypothesis us invalid.

Question 10

Describe the importance of controlling or standardising confounding variables

Answer 10

Any confounding variable should be taken into account or standardised across treatments.

Question 11

Describe a situation which will compromise the validity of an experiment

Answer 11

The validity of an experiment may be compromised when factors other than the independent variable influence the value of the dependent variable.

Question 12

Describe the effects of the effect of selection bias and sample size on representative sampling

Answer 12

Selection bias is the selection of a sample in a non-random way, so that the sample is not representative of the whole population. Selection bias may have prevented a representative sample being selected.

Question 13

Describe the role of statistical tests

Answer 13

Statistical tests are used to determine whether the difference between the means are likely or unlikely to have occurred by chance.

Question 14

A _____ significant result is one that is ______ to be due to chance alone

Answer 14

statistically, unlikely

Question 15

Describe the role of error bars in data analysis

Answer 15

Error bars indicate the variability of data around a mean.

Question 16

What should the conclusion refer to?

Answer 16

Concussions should refer to the aim, the results and the hypothesis

Question 17

The validity and reliability of the _____ ____should be taken into account.

Answer 17

experimental design

Question 18

________ should be given as to whether the results can be attributed to correlation or causation

Answer 18

consideration

Question 19

What should evaluations of conclusions refer to?

Answer 19

Evaluation of conclusions should also refer to existing knowledge and the results of other investigations.