Beyond textbook, yet simple, statistical tools for reproducible animal research

 描述(由申请人提供)：将实验动物研究转化为人类健康干预措施的能力取决于研究的重复性、可复制性和推广性(RRG)。RRG的挑战通常源于 科学方案的差异、未知或无法控制的混杂因素、科学方案的不完全沟通以及对统计原理的无意误用，而不是经常讨论的研究不当行为。RRG的许多挑战涉及统计学和研究设计的实际和理论方面，这些方面超出了基本统计课程或教科书所教授的内容。因此，我们建议创建一组动画片段来教育职业早期、实验动物研究人员(即研究生、博士后研究员和初级研究人员)有关这些问题的知识。我们特别提出了关于可变性、能力、随机化、假设检验和推论的模块，这些模块解决了实验室研究人员常见的、但不是常规教科书的需求。每个单元将由几个简短的动画小插曲组成，这些小插曲将1)讨论对RRG重要的统计或设计原则；2)促进统计和实验室动物科学家之间的对话和合作；3)统计和实验动物科学家在专业知识和人口统计特征方面的模式多样性。每个小插曲还将分别通过咨询统计专家、经验丰富的实验室动物研究人员和早期职业调查人员来评估内容有效性、表面有效性和教育价值。最后，小插曲将通过额外的在线教学内容得到加强，包括教程文字和自我评估测验。我们的团队将利用我们创建和共享在线教育内容的经验和资源来广泛传播教学材料，我们承诺在一个开放的门户网站上维护这些材料，而不向最终用户收费。通过以这种方式支持RRG的原则，我们广泛地为NIH的使命做出贡献，促进基本的创造性发现、创新的研究战略及其应用；开发、维护和更新科学人力资源；以及在科学行为中示范和促进最高水平的科学诚信。我们专门为NIGMS的使命做出贡献，“培训下一代科学家， 加强科学队伍的多样性，并在全国范围内发展研究能力。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The capacity of laboratory animal research to be translated to interventions for human health is dependent on research reproducibility, replicability, and generalizability (RRG). It is often the case that challenges with RRG arise from differences in scientific protocols, unknown or uncontrolled confounding factors, incomplete communication of scientific protocols, and unintentional misapplication of statistical principles, rather than the oft-discussed research misconduct. Many of these challenges with RRG involve practical and theoretical aspects of statistics and study design that go beyond what is taught in basic statistics courses or textbooks. We therefore propose creating a set of animated vignettes to educate early career, laboratory animal investigators (namely, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and beginning investigators) about these issues. We specifically propose modules on variability, power, randomization, hypothesis testing, and inferences that address common, and yet not routine-textbook needs of laboratory researchers. Each module will be composed of several short, animated vignettes that will 1) discuss a statistical or design principle that is important for RRG; 2) foster dialogue and collaboration between statistical and laboratory animal scientists; and 3) model diversity of statistical and laboratory animal scientist with respect to expertise and demographic characteristics. Each vignette will also be evaluated for content validity, face validity, and educational value by consulting with statistical experts, experienced lab animal researchers, and early career investigators, respectively. Finally, vignettes will be reinforced with additional online instructional content, including tutorial literture and self-assessment quizzes. Our team will widely disseminate the instructional materials leveraging our experience and resources creating and sharing online educational content, and we commit to maintain the materials in an openly available web portal without cost to end users. By supporting principles of RRG in this way, we contribute broadly to the mission of the NIH in fostering fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications; developing, maintaining, and renewing scientific human resources; and exemplifying and promoting the highest level of scientific integrity in the conduct of science. We specifically contribute to the mission of the NIGMS by "training the next generation of scientists, in enhancing the diversity of the scientific workforce, and in developing research capacities throughout the country."