3.2d Reliability

Question 1

Variation in experimental results

Answer 1

Variation in experimental results may be due to the reliability of measurement methods and/or inherent variation in the specimens.

Question 2

Reliability of measuring instruments

Answer 2

The reliability of measuring instruments or procedures can be determined by repeated measurements or readings of an individual datum point. The variation observed indicates the precision of the measurement instrument or procedure but not necessarily its accuracy.

Question 3

Natural variation

Answer 3

The natural variation in the biological material being used can be determined by measuring a sample of individuals from the population.

Question 4

Range

Answer 4

The range of these values is a measure of the extent of variation in the results. If there is a narrow range then the variation is low.

Question 5

Mean

Answer 5

The mean of these repeated measurements will give an indication of the true value being measured.

Question 6

Independent replication

Answer 6

Independent replication should be carried out to produce independent data sets. These independent data sets should be compared to determine the reliability of the results.
Overall results can only be considered reliable if they can be achieved consistently.