ABSTRACT
Toxicological experiments generally have a twofold purpose. The first question is whether or not an agent results in an effect on a biological system. The second question, never far behind, is how much of an effect is present. Both the cost to perform research to answer such questions and the value that society places upon the results of such efforts have continued to increase rapidly. Additionally, it has become increasingly desirable that the results and conclusions of studies aimed at assessing the effects of environmental agents be as clear and unequivocal as possible. It is essential that every experiment and study yield as much information as possible, and that (more specifically) the results of each study have the greatest possible chance of answering the questions it was conducted to address. The statistical aspects of such efforts, so far as they are aimed at structuring experiments to maximize the possibilities of success, are called experimental design.
