When conducting on-farm trials for a study it is important that the duration is long enough, enough animals are used, and a control group is included. Basic studies involve fewer animals and controlled conditions, whereas applied studies are on-farm (or “in field”) and have more animals under real life conditions. The duration for on-farm reproductive studies depends on whether boars or sows are being studied. For studies on boars, usually technology is developed to improve quantity or quality of sperm. It takes around seven weeks for sperm to develop, and any effect from a treatment to be seen. The sows’ reproductive cycle is more complex than the boars, and the length of the trial will depend on which part of the cycle is being targeted. Implementing a treatment to the entire herd and comparing before and after results is not recommended because herd conditions are constantly changing, and confounding variables have a high chance of being introduced. Deciding the number of animals used in the study will depend on how large of an effect is needed by the new technology, the current herd performance, the herd variation, and the level of confidence wanted for results. Expensive technologies will likely require a greater improvement in results to be routinely used than an inexpensive, or labour reducing technology. Applied studies allow new technology to perform in a commercial setting, and obtaining accurate results relies upon choosing proper duration and numbers, and use of a contemporary group.