Some results on two-level factorial designs with dependent observations

There are many situations in which observations in factorial experiments may be dependent. When this is so, run orders are needed that result in efficient estimates of contrasts. The Cheng and Steinberg reverse foldover algorithm, which gives a maximal number of level changes, is known to produce very efficient main-effects two-level designs using the D-criterion, but less is known about other designs, models and criteria. We present some further theoretical results, and give another statistic of importance in predicting efficiency under strong dependence. The theory is illustrated using some 16-run designs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.