A Guide to Sample Size for Animal-based Studies

Understand a foundational area of experimental design with this innovative reference

Animal-based research is an essential part of basic and preclinical research, but poses a unique set of experimental design challenges. The most important of these are the 3Rs − Replacement, Reduction and Refinement − the principles comprising the ethical framework for humane animal-based studies. However, many researchers have difficulty navigating the design trade-offs necessary to simultaneously minimize animal use, and produce scientific information that is both rigorous and reliable.

A Guide to Sample Size for Animal-based Studies meets this need with a thorough, accessible reference work to the subject. This book provides a straightforward systematic approach to “rightsizing” animal-based experiments, with sample size estimates based on the fundamentals of statistical thinking: structured research questions, variation control and appropriate design of experiments. The result is a much-needed guide to planning animal-based experiments to ensure scientifically valid and reliable results.

This book offers:

• Step-by-step guidance in diverse methods for approximating and refining sample size


• Detailed treatment of research topics specific to animal-based research, including pilot, feasibility and proof-of-concept studies


• Sample size approximation methods for different types of data − binary, continuous, ordinal, time to event − and different study types − description, comparison, nested designs, reference interval construction and dose-response studies


• Numerous worked examples, using real data from published papers, together with SAS and R code

A Guide to Sample Size for Animal-based Studies is a must-have reference for preclinical and veterinary researchers, as well as ethical oversight committees and policymakers.