An Introduction to Optimal Design

In this article we give an elementary introduction to optimal design for some basic statistical models. Research questions coming from a project on dyscalculia are used as illustrative examples throughout this article. First, basic design issues are considered for the t-test and simple regression and then extended to the general linear model. Finally, we will outline optimal designs for nonlinear statistical models. As a simple example, logistic regression with a binary explanatory variable is used.