Computer-aided applications in pharmaceutical technology

Book excerpt: This chapter provides a basic theoretical background on experimental design application and interpretation. Techniques described include screening designs, full and fractional factorial designs, Plackett–Burman design, D-optimal designs, response surface methodology, central composite designs, Box–Behnken design, and mixture designs, etc. The reader will be introduced to the experimental domains covered by specific design, making it easier to select the one appropriate for the problem. After theoretical introduction, a number of illustrative examples of design of experiments application in the field of pharmaceutical technology are presented.