This video is another excerpt on the design of experiments videos by George Box, see previous posts: Introduction to Fractional Factorial Designed Experiments and The Art of Discovery. This video looks at learning about experimental design using paper helicopters (the paper linked there may be of interest to you also).
[the video is no longer available online]
In this example a screening experiment was done first to find those factors that have the largest impact on results. Once the most important factors are determined more care can be put into studying those factors in greater detail.
The video was posted by Wiley [the broken link was removed] (with the permission of George’s family), Wiley is the publisher of George’s recent autobiography, An Accidental Statistician, and many of his other books.
The importance of keeping the scope (in dollars and time) of initial experiments down was emphasized in the video.
George Box: “Always remember the process of discovery is iterative. The results of each stage of investigation generating new questions to answered during the next.”
Soren Bisgaard and Conrad Fung also appear in this except of the video.
The end of the video includes several suggested resources including: Statistics for Experimenters, Out of the Crisis and The Scientific Context of Quality Improvement.
Related: Introductory Videos on Using Design of Experiments to Improve Results (with Stu Hunter) – Why Use Designed Factorial Experiments? – brainstorming – What Can You Find Out From 12 Experimental Runs?
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