ABSTRACT
What has Paula Maven gleaned from her basic education in the subject of dose-response bioassays? She has learned the statistical definitions of a dose response with one variable and all of the ways in which this type of linear regression can be used for special purposes such as quarantine statistics, evaluation of the quality of microbial products, and studies of pesticide resistance. Data from bioassays involving time or more than one chemical applied together (i.e., mixtures) represent more elaborate regressions because they include more than one explanatory variable. The most complex regressions to solve involve both multiple explanatory variables and multiple response variables. In the course of her education, Paula has found that computer programs can range from undocumented, experimental statistical programs with no instructions to well-documented and user-friendly programs with user’s guide. Biologists need more of the latter. In their absence, large computer packages such as Stata
contain large libraries of programs that should be adaptable for many purposes.
