For many years, we taught a graduate level subject, offered over two weeks in July.  This course a collaborative activity between the University of Melbourne and Deakin University. It is part of the Science Masters graduate program (Biol90002 Biometry) at the University of Melbourne, through the School of BioSciences and part of the Honours curriculum at Deakin’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences. It provides information about the design, analysis, and interpretation of sampling programs associated with environmental and biological sciences.

The subject consists of lectures along with computer-based worksheets for accompanying independent study. We assume a basic familiarity with statistical methods used in biology (although we provide revisionary material), and we we introduce basic linear models, illustrated using Analysis of Variance, used for designed experiments, and extend that approach through General Linear Models, including regression approaches and analysis of data that are categorical, rather than continuous. We also cover multivariate statistical approaches, which are commonly used in systematics, ecology, and the various “-omics”.