Critical evaluation of scientific literature is an important skill, especially in the field of animal behaviour. In this presentation, we discuss some thoughtful ways to evaluate research articles, with lots of interesting examples. Drawing on my own experience publishing in this field, this session will look at the difficulties that can be encountered when trying to perform the perfect study.
Learning Objectives
Exploring the role of science in dog behaviour, with entertaining examples that cover the following points:
* Understanding the importance of statistics (even without understanding statistics itself)
* Learning how correlation is not equal to causation, and other misinterpretations of data
* Discovering why “not enough subjects in the study” is not necessarily a valid criticism
About The Presenter
Dr Dennis Wormald earned his Bachelor of Veterinary Science and PhD on canine anxiety from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He also has a biomedical science degree with a neuroscience major, and research experience in addiction neuroscience at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. Dennis is also a member by examination of the Veterinary Behaviour Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists.
Dennis enjoys working as a veterinarian doing private veterinary referral behaviour consulting for dogs in Melbourne, Australia. He is also the founder of ABAdog, an online dog behaviour education business. This startup currently services over 50 veterinary clinics across Australia, providing custom dog behaviour advice for their patients. Recently, Dennis has published his first book on dog behaviour, titled "A Dedication To Difficult Dogs"
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