Question

A researcher wishes to compare the effects of 2 fertilizers on the yield of a soybean crop. She has 20 plots of land available and she decides to use a paired experiment — using 10 pairs of plots. Thus, she will:

a. Use a table of random numbers to divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs and then, for each pair, flip a coin to assign the fertilizers to the 2 plots.
b. Subjectively divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs (making the plots within a block as similar as possible) and then, for each pair, flip a coin to assign the fertilizers to the 2 plots.
c. Use a table of random numbers to divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs and then use the table of random numbers a second time to decide upon the fertilizer to be applied to each pair.
d. Flip a coin to divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs and then, for each pair, use a table of random numbers to assign the fertilizers to the 2 plots.
e. Use a table of random numbers to assign the 2 fertilizers to the 20 plots and then use the table of random numbers a second time to place the plots into 10 pairs.

Answer 1

I am wondering how one could use anything but a binary choice on the pairing, answer b appears a good choice to me.