Abstract
Some bovine practitioners are beginning to conduct their own field trials in order to test new drugs, surgical techniques, feed additives, management programs, and the like. Other practitioners are being asked by scientists in universities or industry to participate in trials, and all practitioners should be reading reports of field trials in journals. There is a science to field trials. Trials that are bad science shouldn't be conducted or believed.
 In this essay I will discuss 6 of the major issues in the design of field trials: controls, sample size, informed consent, baseline measurements, assignment of treatments, and blindness. I will not discuss statistical issues other than some general comments regarding sample size. I'll generally take the point of view of the practitioner trying to design his or her own trial, but these same issues may be used to evaluate the quality of other people's trials. (For further reading, there's an excellent recent article by Dohoo and Waltner-Toews (1), and a very good, non-statistical introductory textbook by Friedman et al. (2).)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: American Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference Proceedings
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
