Where to start? In my own field of software engineering we have: studies in effort estimation, and for those readers into advocating particular programming languages, the evidence that strong typing is effective, and the case of a small samples getting lucky. One approach to a small sample size is to sell the idea not the result.
Running a software engineering experiment with a decent sample size would cost about the same as a Phase I clinical drug trial.
Thanks Derek. I’m writing a blog post on results from small samples—may I cite your answer?
I’m always happy to be cited :-)
Sample size is one major issue, the other is who/what gets to be in the sample.
Psychology has its issues with using WEIRD subjects.
Software engineering has issues with the use of student subjects, because most of them have relatively little experience.
It all revolves around convenience sampling.
Where to start? In my own field of software engineering we have: studies in effort estimation, and for those readers into advocating particular programming languages, the evidence that strong typing is effective, and the case of a small samples getting lucky. One approach to a small sample size is to sell the idea not the result.
Running a software engineering experiment with a decent sample size would cost about the same as a Phase I clinical drug trial.
Thanks Derek. I’m writing a blog post on results from small samples—may I cite your answer?
I’m always happy to be cited :-)
Sample size is one major issue, the other is who/what gets to be in the sample.
Psychology has its issues with using WEIRD subjects.
Software engineering has issues with the use of student subjects, because most of them have relatively little experience.
It all revolves around convenience sampling.