Study design

This course is a part of AP®︎ Statistics, a 17-course Topic series from Khan Academy.

Statistics is all about forming questions and gathering data to explore those questions. This unit covers sampling and survey methods, observational studies, and basic experiment design.

This course contains 4 segments:

Sampling and observational studies

When we want to gather data from a large population, we survey or observe a sample from that population. This lesson covers sampling and survey methods and the types of conclusions that can be drawn.

Sampling methods

The goal of sampling is to get a group that is representative of its population. This lesson explores different strategies we can use — like stratified and cluster sampling — to get a good sample. We'll also look at possible sources of bias in voluntary response and convenience sampling.

Types of studies (experimental vs. observational)

This lesson covers how to distinguish between a few primary types of studies used to collect data. Learning to identify a study as either observational or experimental helps us in making appropriate conclusions.

Experiments

An experiment assigns some subjects to receive a treatment while others don't get the treatment. Experiments allow us to see how a treatment affects changes in a response variable. This lesson covers basic principles of experiment design.