Module Two: Sampling and Experimentation

  Overview of methods of data collection:

• Census
• Sample survey
• Experiment
• Observational study

  Planning and conducting surveys:

• Characteristics of a well-designed and well-conducted survey
• Populations, samples, and random selection
• Sources of bias in sampling and surveys
• Sampling methods, including simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, and cluster sampling

  Planning and conducting experiments:

• Characteristics of a well-designed and well-conducted experiment
• Treatments, control groups, experimental units, random assignments, and replication
• Sources of bias and confounding, including placebo effect and blinding
• Completely randomized design
• Randomized block design, including matched pairs design

Generalizing results and, types of conclusions that can be drawn from observational studies, experiments and surveys