Lost in space: design of experiments and scientific exploration in a Hogarth Universe

Teaching examples for the design of experiments: geographical sensitivity and the self‐fulfilling prophecy

“…Of course, these examples are just a small part of any program around DOE: The statistician has access to many other learning design and teaching tools . However, we find these two spaces useful in ‘unfreezing’ scientific thinking and challenging the scientists' misplaced confidence in their scientific intuition.…”

“…In this paper, we offer two examples from a review of experimental design tools as teaching examples. These examples demonstrate how a scientist using OFAT methods will rapidly generate data to support preconceived notions of the best settings or conditions for a process.…”

The PCR Simulator: an on-line application for teaching Design of Experiments and the polymerase chain reaction

“…Furthermore, experimental design and statistical analysis are highly connected activities whose teaching is rarely integrated; statistical training within the Biosciences traditionally focuses on data analysis, not experimental planning. Experimental simulations are therefore highly valuable tools to simultaneously introduce the concepts of statistical Design of Experiments (DoE) while exploring the impact that experimental design has on analytical outcome (3)(4)(5). Our PCR Simulator is an on-line application modelled on laboratory protocols for performing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a ubiquitous but complex protocol for DNA amplification.…”

Design of experiments and the virtual PCR simulator: An online game for pharmaceutical scientists and biotechnologists

“…Many believe that small experiments, guided by scientific intuition alone, exploring the changes as each variable in turn is changed, one factor at a time (OFAT), are more efficient than DOE. This belief is strong and persists, even in the face of data demonstrating that it is clearly wrong …”

“…This belief is strong and persists, even in the face of data demonstrating that it is clearly wrong. 1 This situation is perpetuated by scientific teaching in support of OFAT approaches to scientific experimentation. Although OFAT methods have been largely discredited, their use in pharmaceutical R&D persists partly because OFAT is taught in schools as part of the "scientific method," partly because of the illusion that it is an efficient methodology and partly because OFAT methods have the beguiling property of generating data confirming initial scientific beliefs.…”