What to do:
  1) Connect the experimental plan / study design to 
   the study question(s) / aims
  2) Justify your choice of study design.  Why is your 
   study the best way to address your study question? 
  3) Use correct study design terminology. 
   Observational, cohort, case-control, pilot, 
   prospective, retrospective, matched, etc… Clinical 
   trial ? (parallel, cross-over, factorial, randomized, 
   blinded, controlled, etc…)
  4) Justify your sample size.  This may be a power 
   analysis or based on practical considerations 
   (depends on the study)
  5) Make sure your “unit of observation” / sample 
   size is clear.  How many samples, animals, 
   subjects, experiments?  Number of 
   measurements per animal or subject? 
  6)  Explain how (if) you have access to all relevant 
   data needed to answer your study question(s). 
   Explain what information will be collected. If any 
   important data isn’t available  explain why and  
   discuss how your results could still be valid.
  7) Consider sources of bias.  Explain how you 
   will control for these sources or explain why 
   you will still get useful results in spite of them
  8) Consider possible “effect modification”.  
   Could results differ for subgroups of 
   individuals?  Possibly make this part of your 
   plan
  9) Address loss to follow-up in a prospective 
   study.  Explain how you will minimize loss to 
   follow-up and missing data
  10) Make a picture!  
   – Study design illustration
   – Study flow chart 
   – Study evaluation chart
         Pet Peeves
  1) Obviously trying to sound “smart”.  We know 
   you are smart.  Focus on being clear.
  2) A list of study procedures over time in the 
   text, instead of using a chart.  “At baseline we 
   will collect A,B,C and D.  At Week 1 we will 
   collect A,B and C.  At Week 2 we will collect 
   A,B and C.  At week 3 we will collect A,B,C 
   and D.”  (and so on…)