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Completely randomized design
Completely randomized design
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In the design of experiments, completely randomized designs are for studying the effects of one primary factor without the need to take other nuisance variables into account. This article describes completely randomized designs that have one primary factor. The experiment compares the values of a response variable based on the different levels of that primary factor. For completely randomized designs, the levels of the primary factor are randomly assigned to the experimental units.

Randomization

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To randomize is to determine the run sequence of the experimental units randomly. For example, if there are 3 levels of the primary factor with each level to be run 2 times, then there are 6! (where ! denotes factorial) possible run sequences (or ways to order the experimental trials). Because of the replication, the number of unique orderings is 90 (since 90 = 6!/(2!*2!*2!)). An example of an unrandomized design would be to always run 2 replications for the first level, then 2 for the second level, and finally 2 for the third level. To randomize the runs, one way would be to put 6 slips of paper in a box with 2 having level 1, 2 having level 2, and 2 having level 3. Before each run, one of the slips would be drawn blindly from the box and the level selected would be used for the next run of the experiment.

In practice, the randomization is typically performed by a computer program. However, the randomization can also be generated from random number tables or by some physical mechanism (e.g., drawing the slips of paper).

Three key numbers

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All completely randomized designs with one primary factor are defined by 3 numbers:

  • k = number of factors (= 1 for these designs)
  • L = number of levels
  • n = number of replications

and the total sample size (number of runs) is N = k × L × n. Balance dictates that the number of replications be the same at each level of the factor (this will maximize the sensitivity of subsequent statistical t- (or F-) tests).

Example

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A typical example of a completely randomized design is the following:

  • k = 1 factor (X1)
  • L = 4 levels of that single factor (called "1", "2", "3", and "4")
  • n = 3 replications per level
  • N = 4 levels × 3 replications per level = 12 runs

Sample randomized sequence of trials

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The randomized sequence of trials might look like: X1: 3, 1, 4, 2, 2, 1, 3, 4, 1, 2, 4, 3

Note that in this example there are 12!/(3!*3!*3!*3!) = 369,600 ways to run the experiment, all equally likely to be picked by a randomization procedure.

Model for a completely randomized design

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The model for the response is

with

  • Yi,j being any observation for which X1 = i (i and j denote the level of the factor and the replication within the level of the factor, respectively)
  • μ (or mu) is the general location parameter
  • Ti is the effect of having treatment level i

Estimates and statistical tests

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Estimating and testing model factor levels

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  • Estimate for μ : = the average of all the data
  • Estimate for Ti :

with = average of all Y for which X1 = i.

Statistical tests for levels of X1 are those used for a one-way ANOVA and are detailed in the article on analysis of variance.

Bibliography

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See also

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
A completely randomized design (CRD) is the simplest form of experimental design in statistics, where treatments are assigned to experimental units entirely at random to ensure unbiased allocation and minimize systematic errors. This approach treats all units as homogeneous, with no prior grouping or blocking to account for known sources of variability, allowing researchers to estimate treatment effects through the randomization process itself. The foundations of CRD stem from the pioneering work of Sir Ronald A. Fisher in the 1920s, who established three core principles of experimental design: randomization, replication, and local control. Randomization in CRD involves assigning treatments to units using methods like random number tables or software to avoid bias from extraneous factors. Replication repeats treatments across multiple units to provide reliable estimates of effects and variability, while local control—though minimally applied in CRD—helps reduce error by grouping in more advanced designs. The statistical analysis of CRD typically employs analysis of variance (ANOVA), modeled as yij=μ+αi+εijy_{ij} = \mu + \alpha_i + \varepsilon_{ij}, where yijy_{ij} is the observation, μ\mu is the overall mean, αi\alpha_i is the treatment effect, and εij\varepsilon_{ij} is the random error. CRD offers several advantages, including ease of , flexibility in the number of treatments and replications, and suitability for settings with uniform conditions. However, its disadvantages include inefficiency when experimental units are heterogeneous, as all variability contributes to the error term, potentially reducing the power to detect treatment differences. For such cases, designs like randomized complete block designs are preferred to control for known sources of variation.

Fundamentals

Definition and Purpose

A completely randomized design (CRD) is the simplest form of experimental design in which treatments are assigned to experimental units entirely by chance, ensuring that each unit has an equal probability of receiving any one of the treatments. This random assignment eliminates the influence of systematic factors on treatment allocation, making it a foundational approach for comparative studies across fields such as , , and . The primary purpose of a CRD is to control for and extraneous variation, thereby enabling researchers to draw valid inferences about the effects of the treatments under investigation. By mimicking the inherent of natural phenomena, in a CRD ensures that observed differences between treatments are attributable to the treatments themselves rather than to variables or researcher preferences. This design is particularly valuable when experimental units are homogeneous or when no known sources of variation need to be explicitly blocked. The CRD was pioneered by Ronald A. Fisher during his tenure at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in the , where he developed it as part of innovative methods for agricultural field trials to detect subtle differences in crop yields. Fisher formalized the concept of in his seminal 1925 book Statistical Methods for Research Workers, establishing it as a core principle for rigorous experimentation. In a basic CRD setup, t distinct treatments are applied to a total of n experimental units, with each treatment typically assigned to r replicates such that n = t \times r. This structure allows for balanced comparisons while relying solely on to distribute treatments across units.

Key Components

The completely randomized design (CRD) is structured around three primary parameters that define its scope and implementation: the number of treatments tt, the number of replicates per treatment rr, and the total number of experimental units n=t×rn = t \times r. These parameters ensure the experiment is balanced and feasible, allowing for the comparison of treatment effects while accounting for variability. For instance, in an agricultural study with t=4t = 4 types and r=6r = 6 plots per type, the total n=24n = 24 units provide sufficient data for reliable . Treatments represent the distinct levels or interventions of the primary factor under investigation, such as different formulations applied to assess impacts. Each treatment is applied to an equal number of units to maintain balance, enabling direct comparison of their effects on the response variable. Experimental units are the independent entities or subjects to which treatments are assigned, serving as the basic observational platforms in the study; examples include individual plots of land in field trials or potted plants in controlled environments. These units must be homogeneous enough to isolate treatment effects but numerous enough to capture natural variation. Replicates involve assigning multiple experimental units to each treatment, which is essential for estimating experimental and increasing the precision of treatment comparisons by reducing the influence of random variability. Typically, rr is chosen based on resource constraints and desired statistical power, with higher values improving reliability. plays a crucial role in assigning treatments to experimental units to minimize , though the specifics of this process are handled separately.

Randomization

Principles of Randomization

Randomization in a (CRD) serves as the foundational mechanism for ensuring the validity of causal inferences by randomly assigning experimental units to treatments, thereby breaking any potential systematic correlation between the treatments and unknown factors. This eliminates the possibility that unobserved variables influencing the outcome—such as inherent unit differences or environmental variations—could systematically favor one treatment over another, allowing observed differences in responses to be attributed solely to the treatments themselves. The primary biases prevented by this approach include , where non-random assignment might lead to groups differing in prognostic factors, and accidental bias, arising from unforeseen imbalances in unknown covariates that could distort treatment effects. By guaranteeing that treatment allocation is independent of both observed and unobserved characteristics, ensures that treatments are orthogonal to unit heterogeneity, meaning no inherent unit properties are correlated with treatment receipt, thus preserving the integrity of comparative analyses. Theoretically, this principle is grounded in , as articulated by Ronald A. Fisher, where makes every possible of treatment assignments to units equally likely, providing a known for without reliance on parametric assumptions about the data-generating process. This uniform probability over permutations underpins exact tests of significance, ensuring that the design's validity holds model-free. In contrast to more structured designs, CRD relies exclusively on for control, without incorporating blocking to address known sources of variation, distinguishing it from randomized block designs that combine with stratification to further mitigate heterogeneity.

Implementation Methods

Simple random assignment in a completely randomized design (CRD) involves using generators or tables to permute treatment labels across experimental units, ensuring each unit has an equal probability of receiving any treatment. This method can be implemented manually by slips of paper labeled with treatments from a or, more commonly, through computational tools for larger experiments. Such approaches help reduce by distributing treatments unpredictably. The implementation follows a structured sequence of steps to achieve . First, compile a complete list of all experimental units, such as plots or subjects, numbered sequentially for . Second, for t treatments each with r replicates, generate a of the total tr units to form t groups of size r. Third, assign the t distinct treatments to these groups, thereby allocating treatments to units. This process ensures the run order or assignment is determined solely by chance. Software tools facilitate efficient randomization for CRD experiments. In R, the base sample() function can generate a random permutation by sampling indices without replacement, such as sample(1:tr) to reorder unit assignments before applying treatments. Similarly, in Python, the random.shuffle() method from the random module permutes a list in place, allowing users to shuffle a sequence of treatment labels and map them to units, as in random.shuffle(treatment_list). These functions are widely used due to their simplicity and reproducibility when a seed is set. To ensure balance after randomization, verify that each treatment is assigned exactly r replicates across the units, which can be confirmed by counting occurrences in the generated assignment vector. This check maintains the design's equal replication structure, essential for valid .

Statistical Model

Model Equation

The linear statistical model for a completely randomized design (CRD) is formulated as a one-way (ANOVA) setup within the framework of the general . In this model, the response variable YijY_{ij} for the jj-th replicate under the ii-th treatment is expressed as: Yij=μ+τi+εij,Y_{ij} = \mu + \tau_i + \varepsilon_{ij}, where i=1,,ai = 1, \dots, a indexes the aa treatments, j=1,,rj = 1, \dots, r indexes the rr replicates per treatment, μ\mu is the overall mean, τi\tau_i is the fixed effect of the ii-th treatment (with the constraint i=1aτi=0\sum_{i=1}^a \tau_i = 0 to ensure identifiability), and εij\varepsilon_{ij} is the random error term. The errors εij\varepsilon_{ij} are assumed to be independent and normally distributed with mean 0 and constant variance σ2\sigma^2, i.e., εijN(0,σ2)\varepsilon_{ij} \sim N(0, \sigma^2). This formulation derives directly from the general linear model Y=Xβ+ε\mathbf{Y} = \mathbf{X} \boldsymbol{\beta} + \boldsymbol{\varepsilon}, where Y\mathbf{Y} is the N×1N \times 1 vector of all observations (with N=arN = a r), εN(0,σ2I)\boldsymbol{\varepsilon} \sim N(\mathbf{0}, \sigma^2 \mathbf{I}) is the error vector, β=(μ,τ1,,τa)\boldsymbol{\beta} = (\mu, \tau_1, \dots, \tau_a)^\top contains the parameters, and X\mathbf{X} is the N×(a+1)N \times (a+1) design matrix encoding the treatment assignments (with a column of 1s for the intercept and indicator columns for each treatment). The CRD structure simplifies the design matrix to reflect equal replication across treatments without blocking or other factors. In the standard CRD, treatment effects τi\tau_i are treated as fixed parameters, representing the specific levels of interest in the experiment. An extension to random effects models treats the τi\tau_i as random variables drawn from a τiN(0,στ2)\tau_i \sim N(0, \sigma_\tau^2), independent of the errors, which is useful when treatments are a random sample from a larger .

Underlying Assumptions

The (CRD) relies on several key statistical assumptions to ensure valid inference and reliable estimation of treatment effects. These assumptions pertain to the error terms in the underlying model and must hold for the analysis of variance (ANOVA) to accurately test hypotheses about treatment differences. Violations can lead to biased estimates or incorrect conclusions, underscoring the importance of verification prior to interpretation. Independence: A fundamental assumption is that the errors, denoted as ε_{ij} for the j-th unit under the i-th treatment, are independent across experimental units. This implies no between observations, which is typically achieved through the process in CRD, ensuring that the assignment of treatments does not introduce systematic dependencies. allows the variance of the treatment difference to be correctly partitioned in ANOVA. Normality: The errors ε_{ij} are assumed to follow a with mean zero and variance σ². This normality assumption facilitates the use of the for hypothesis testing in ANOVA, providing exact p-values under the of no treatment effects. While the design is robust to moderate departures from normality, severe or can affect the validity of tests, particularly with small sample sizes. Homoscedasticity: Constant variance, or homoscedasticity, requires that the variance σ² of the errors ε_{ij} is the same across all treatment levels. This equal variance assumption ensures that the ANOVA F-test is unbiased and that confidence intervals for treatment differences are appropriately scaled. Heteroscedasticity, where variances differ by treatment, can inflate Type I error rates or reduce power. To validate these assumptions, diagnostic procedures are employed post-analysis. Residual plots, such as residuals versus fitted values, help detect patterns indicating non-independence, non-normality, or heteroscedasticity; random scatter around zero supports the assumptions. The Shapiro-Wilk test assesses normality by comparing residuals to a , with p-values greater than 0.05 indicating no significant deviation. evaluates homoscedasticity by testing equality of variances across treatments, favoring the assumption when the test statistic is non-significant. These checks, applied to residuals from the fitted model, confirm the robustness of CRD results.

Analysis Procedures

Parameter Estimation

In the completely randomized design (CRD), parameter estimation is typically performed using ordinary least squares (OLS) methods applied to the linear model Yij=μ+τi+ϵijY_{ij} = \mu + \tau_i + \epsilon_{ij}, where YijY_{ij} is the observation from the jj-th replicate under the ii-th treatment, μ\mu is the overall mean, τi\tau_i is the treatment effect (with the constraint i=1tτi=0\sum_{i=1}^t \tau_i = 0), and ϵij\epsilon_{ij} are independent errors with mean zero and variance σ2\sigma^2. The least squares estimator for the overall mean μ\mu is the grand mean μ^=Yˉ..=1ni=1tj=1rYij\hat{\mu} = \bar{Y}_{..} = \frac{1}{n} \sum_{i=1}^t \sum_{j=1}^r Y_{ij}, where n=rtn = rt is the total number of observations, tt is the number of treatments, and rr is the number of replicates per treatment. For the treatment effects, the estimators are τ^i=Yˉi.Yˉ..\hat{\tau}_i = \bar{Y}_{i.} - \bar{Y}_{..}, where Yˉi.=1rj=1rYij\bar{Y}_{i.} = \frac{1}{r} \sum_{j=1}^r Y_{ij} is the mean for the ii-th treatment; these satisfy the sum-to-zero constraint i=1tτ^i=0\sum_{i=1}^t \hat{\tau}_i = 0. The variance component σ2\sigma^2 is estimated as the mean square error (MSE), given by σ^2=SSEnt\hat{\sigma}^2 = \frac{\text{SSE}}{n - t}, where SSE is the sum of squared errors SSE=i=1tj=1r(YijYˉi.)2\text{SSE} = \sum_{i=1}^t \sum_{j=1}^r (Y_{ij} - \bar{Y}_{i.})^2. This estimator provides an unbiased estimate of the error variance under the model assumptions of and homoscedasticity. These estimates are derived and summarized through the analysis of variance (ANOVA) table, which partitions the in the data into components attributable to treatments and error. The table structure for a balanced CRD is as follows:
Source
Treatmentst1t - 1SSA=ri=1t(Yˉi.Yˉ..)2\text{SSA} = r \sum_{i=1}^t (\bar{Y}_{i.} - \bar{Y}_{..})^2MSA=SSAt1\text{MSA} = \frac{\text{SSA}}{t-1}
Errorntn - tSSE=i=1tj=1r(YijYˉi.)2\text{SSE} = \sum_{i=1}^t \sum_{j=1}^r (Y_{ij} - \bar{Y}_{i.})^2MSE=SSEnt\text{MSE} = \frac{\text{SSE}}{n-t}
Totaln1n - 1SST=i=1tj=1r(YijYˉ..)2\text{SST} = \sum_{i=1}^t \sum_{j=1}^r (Y_{ij} - \bar{Y}_{..})^2-
Here, SSA quantifies the variation between treatment means, SSE captures within-treatment variation, and SST is the total sum of squares, with the identity SST=SSA+SSE\text{SST} = \text{SSA} + \text{SSE}. Under the Gauss-Markov theorem, assuming linearity in parameters, uncorrelated errors with constant variance, and no perfect multicollinearity, the least squares estimators μ^\hat{\mu} and τ^i\hat{\tau}_i are the best linear unbiased estimators (BLUE), meaning they have minimum variance among all linear unbiased estimators. Additionally, all estimators are unbiased, with E(μ^)=μE(\hat{\mu}) = \mu and E(τ^i)=τiE(\hat{\tau}_i) = \tau_i.

Hypothesis Testing

In the completely randomized design (CRD), hypothesis testing for treatment effects employs (ANOVA) to assess whether observed differences in response means across treatments are statistically significant. The primary is that all treatment effects are zero, denoted as H0:τ1=τ2==τt=0H_0: \tau_1 = \tau_2 = \dots = \tau_t = 0, where τi\tau_i represents the fixed effect of the ii-th treatment and tt is the number of treatments; this implies equality of all population means. The HaH_a posits that at least one τi0\tau_i \neq 0, indicating differences among treatments. The test statistic is the F-ratio, computed as F=MSAMSEF = \frac{\text{MSA}}{\text{MSE}}, where MSA is the mean square for treatments, defined as MSA=SSAt1\text{MSA} = \frac{\text{SSA}}{t-1} with SSA as the sum of squares attributable to treatments, and MSE is the mean square error derived from the residual variation. This F statistic leverages the unbiased estimators of treatment and error variances obtained from the ANOVA partition. Under the null hypothesis and assuming the underlying model conditions hold, the F statistic follows an F-distribution with t1t-1 numerator degrees of freedom and ntn-t denominator degrees of freedom, where nn is the total number of experimental units. Rejection of H0H_0 occurs if the observed F exceeds the critical value from the F-distribution at a pre-specified significance level α\alpha, typically 0.05. When the overall F test is significant, indicating evidence of treatment differences, post-hoc multiple comparison procedures are applied to determine which specific pairs of treatments differ. Common methods include Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test, which controls the for all pairwise comparisons using the , and Fisher's Least Significant Difference () test, which performs pairwise t-tests but offers less stringent error control suitable for planned comparisons. These tests use the MSE from the ANOVA as the estimate and are essential for interpreting the nature of the detected effects in CRD. The power of the F test in CRD, defined as the probability of rejecting H0H_0 when it is false, is influenced by the effect size (such as the standardized magnitude of treatment mean differences relative to error variance), the total sample size nn, and the significance level α\alpha. Larger effect sizes and sample sizes increase power, enabling detection of smaller true differences, while a lower α\alpha reduces power; power calculations often guide experimental planning to achieve at least 80% power for anticipated effects.

Examples

Basic Example

A common basic example of a completely randomized design (CRD) involves an agricultural trial testing the effects of three different fertilizers (A, B, and C) on wheat yields across 12 plots, with four replicates per treatment assigned randomly to ensure unbiased allocation. The raw yield data, measured in kilograms per plot, are presented in the following table:
FertilizerReplicate 1Replicate 2Replicate 3Replicate 4TotalMean (Yˉi.\bar{Y}_{i.})
A88610328
B10121394411
C181713166416
Grand Total----140-
The treatment means are calculated as the yield for each : YˉA.=8\bar{Y}_{A.} = 8 kg, YˉB.=11\bar{Y}_{B.} = 11 kg, and YˉC.=16\bar{Y}_{C.} = 16 kg. The grand , representing the overall yield across all plots, is Yˉ..=140/1211.67\bar{Y}_{..} = 140 / 12 \approx 11.67 kg. These treatment means can be visualized using a , where the x-axis lists the fertilizers A, B, and C, and the y-axis shows the yield in kg, with bars reaching heights of 8, 11, and 16 respectively to highlight differences in performance.

Randomized Sequence Illustration

To illustrate the randomization process in a completely randomized design (CRD), consider an experiment with four treatments labeled A, B, C, and D, each replicated three times across 12 experimental units, resulting in a total of n=tr=12n = tr = 12 units where t=4t = 4 and r=3r = 3. Randomization ensures that treatments are assigned to units via a random permutation of the treatment labels, maintaining balance such that each treatment appears exactly r=3r = 3 times. One such generated sequence, produced using standard randomization methods, assigns treatments to units in sequential order as follows:
UnitAssigned Treatment
1C
2A
3D
4B
5B
6A
7C
8D
9A
10B
11D
12C
This sequence can be verified for balance: treatment A appears in units 2, 6, and 9 (three times); B in units 4, 5, and 10 (three times); C in units 1, 7, and 12 (three times); and D in units 3, 8, and 11 (three times).

Advantages and Limitations

Strengths

The (CRD) is prized for its simplicity, as it requires only the of treatments to experimental units without the need for complex stratification or blocking structures, making it straightforward to plan, execute, and analyze even for researchers with limited resources. This ease of implementation stems from R.A. Fisher's foundational principles, where alone suffices to distribute treatments evenly across units, minimizing preparatory efforts beyond generating a . Consequently, CRD facilitates quick setup in settings like experiments, where environmental homogeneity reduces the demand for additional controls. A key strength of CRD lies in its robustness, particularly when experimental units are relatively homogeneous, as the randomization process inherently protects against unseen biases by ensuring that treatment effects are not confounded with systematic variations in unit characteristics. This , as emphasized by Fisher, eliminates intentional or unintentional selection biases, allowing for valid without prior knowledge of potential factors. In practice, this makes CRD reliable for initial investigations where subtle heterogeneities might otherwise skew results, providing a baseline against which more intricate designs can be compared. CRD also offers efficiency in estimation, delivering unbiased treatment effect estimates under fewer assumptions than designs requiring blocking or factorial arrangements, while maximizing for error variance assessment to enhance statistical power. For instance, it accommodates unequal replications across treatments and handles with minimal loss of information, supporting robust analysis via standard ANOVA even when variances differ slightly. This efficiency is particularly advantageous in resource-constrained scenarios, where it achieves precise inferences without the overhead of advanced modeling. In terms of applicability, CRD excels in preliminary studies or controlled environments, such as or lab trials with uniform conditions, where blocking is unnecessary and the focus is on detecting main treatment effects without complicating the . It is well-suited for in fields like or , enabling rapid hypothesis testing on a single factor before scaling to more nuanced experiments.

Weaknesses and Alternatives

The completely randomized design (CRD) is inefficient when experimental units exhibit heterogeneity, as it ignores potential sources of variation such as environmental factors, leading to larger experimental error and reduced precision in estimating treatment effects. This inefficiency results in lower statistical power to detect true differences among treatments, particularly when nuisance variables like gradients in field experiments are present and unaccounted for. Additionally, CRD assumes the absence of interactions between treatments and other factors, which may not hold in complex systems, potentially masking important effects or leading to misleading conclusions. CRD relies on strict underlying assumptions, including homogeneity of variances across treatment groups and normality of errors; violations, such as unequal variances (heteroscedasticity), can invalidate the in ANOVA by inflating Type I error rates, especially in unbalanced designs. Unlike more advanced designs, CRD lacks built-in mechanisms for diagnosing these violations, requiring separate residual analyses or robustness checks that may not always be performed. When known sources of heterogeneity exist, such as spatial variation in agricultural trials, a (RBD) is preferable, as it groups similar units into blocks to control for these nuisances and increase precision without assuming interactions. For experiments involving multiple factors where interactions are suspected, designs offer a more efficient alternative to CRD by allowing simultaneous estimation of main effects and interactions, reducing the need for multiple separate CRD experiments. CRD remains appropriate only when experimental units are relatively uniform, such as in controlled settings, and resources for blocking or multiple factors are limited, ensuring simplicity without substantial loss in efficiency.

References

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