Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Research Methods - Essay Example Subjects can either be tested once only (independent group design), or more than once or matched (repeated measures design). The advantages of the latter are that fewer participants are needed (as it may be difficult to find morbidly obese individuals), and this method can provide greater statistical power. On the other hand, there could be practice and carryover effects that would need to be minimised. In the alternative of an independent group design, it may be difficult to randomly assign the subjects and there could be large differences between individuals, which would make it difficult to make any meaningful observations. We would however have the advantage of having a control group so as to control some extraneous factors. Experimental Method Used and its Justification A repeated measures design is preferred due to the expected difficulty in obtaining the required subjects i.e. in finding morbidly obese individuals. They also reduce the effect of individual differences (Schinka, 2003:279). The second justification for a repeated measures design is the greater statistical power relative to the sample size (Amy, 1997). However, subjects will be selected at random and counterbalancing will also be used to offset any practice and carryover effects. The validity of the conclusions is threatened by factors that have either not been specified or included in the study and which could theoretically therefore influence the dependent variable.

Township of Twisted Water Boundary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Township of Twisted Water Boundary - Assignment Example The process used and the allocation limits chosen were published in managing the groundwater resources of the Township of Twisted groundwater management strategy. To decide on the allocation limits, results from an earlier groundwater model (GRFAMOD, Dodson 2001) and the information gathered from the environmental water requirements assessments (SMEC 2001), was used. The GASFAMS groundwater model estimated the recharge, through flow, discharge and storage characteristics of the flow system. The groundwater model simulated a number of recharge scenarios to determine how much water could be sustainably abstracted from the system. The department follows a standard planning process when developing an allocation plan. A component of this process is setting allocation limits and the management regime. For the Township of Twisted area, we set allocation limits in accordance with this process. The yield estimate tells us how much water can be taken from a resource for use and what volume or flow is needed to maintain the ecological and social values, within and downstream of the resource. We also consider management considerations in our decision, such as reliability of supply, current use, future demand and the effects of water abstraction and use on water quality. The department applied this process to the Township of the Twisted alluvial aquifer to determine the allocation limits. An allocation limit is the annual volume of water set aside for consumptive use from a water resource. This includes the water available for licensing and the water set aside for uses exempt from licensing, such as stock and domestic. For administrative purposes, the allocation limit is divided into three groups of components: Involving the community is an important part of the planning process. Extensive consultation should be done to ensure setting the right management approach for the area.