Length: 3,000 words

Reference style: APA

Task:

Key concept: “The design of environmental studies is without exception a compromise between cost and information. This translates almost directly into a balance between Type I and Type II errors.”

Task: Write an essay which defines Type I and Type II errors, as they relate to environmental studies, and discusses the differing importance and implications of these two kinds of errors. Use examples of different kinds of environmental monitoring situations (i.e., objectives) in your essay.
Assessment criteria:

Definition: 20% of mark

Assessed on the basis of:

the clarity of the definition,
the completeness of the definition, and
the accuracy of the definition.

Discussion of Type I & II errors: 40% for each type

Assessed on the basis of:

the range of examples used,
the validity of the examples used,
the way in which the examples are used to display how the effects of the errors vary in different circumstances, and
the way in which the examples are used to display how the significance of the errors varies in different circumstances.