189 Fundamentals, Common Mistakes, and Graduate Education in Statistics

Abstract

Abstract Experimental design and statistical data analyses are fundamental components of animal science research. Proper design of experiments and adequate sampling permits testing hypotheses raised by researchers and sets the stage for collecting required data and subsequent statistical analysis. When designing experiments, researchers should respect rules of randomization of treatments to avoid statistical bias and permit proper inference to be drawn. Use of sample sizes that result in adequate statistical power to identify the hypothesized differences among factor levels of interest is key and should be driven by formal processes determining such. Best practices for data collection should be performed to obtain high quality data by reducing collection (e.g., mislabeling, improper technique) and measurement errors. With sound data, appropriate and optimal statistical methods should be used to generate valid results. The statistical method deployed should be chosen based on assumptions about residuals (e.g., normality, correlation, and homogeneity) and on the type of data (e.g., quantitative continuous or categorical). The appropriate statistical model used should also be consistent with the experimental design to validate the respective test statistics. The science of statistics is changing rapidly. With the development of high-throughput technologies, the generation of large datasets, high performance and sophisticated models and the interest in Big Data, the training of animal science graduate students in data management and rigorous statistical analyses is more important than ever. In order to meet the demands of current trends, animal science graduate students must be trained in several complex statistical and computational skills to meet the challenges imposed by these complicated, sophisticated and nuanced analytical methods. The livestock production sector will benefit from improved training, use of advanced and appropriate experimental designs, and collection and analysis of quality data in research.