Thinking Through Statistics

Thinking Through Statistics
Author: John Levi Martin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2018-08-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 022656777X

Simply put, Thinking Through Statistics is a primer on how to maintain rigorous data standards in social science work, and one that makes a strong case for revising the way that we try to use statistics to support our theories. But don’t let that daunt you. With clever examples and witty takeaways, John Levi Martin proves himself to be a most affable tour guide through these scholarly waters. Martin argues that the task of social statistics isn't to estimate parameters, but to reject false theory. He illustrates common pitfalls that can keep researchers from doing just that using a combination of visualizations, re-analyses, and simulations. Thinking Through Statistics gives social science practitioners accessible insight into troves of wisdom that would normally have to be earned through arduous trial and error, and it does so with a lighthearted approach that ensures this field guide is anything but stodgy.

The Art of Statistics

The Art of Statistics
Author: David Spiegelhalter
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 359
Release: 2019-09-03
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1541618521

In this "important and comprehensive" guide to statistical thinking (New Yorker), discover how data literacy is changing the world and gives you a better understanding of life’s biggest problems. Statistics are everywhere, as integral to science as they are to business, and in the popular media hundreds of times a day. In this age of big data, a basic grasp of statistical literacy is more important than ever if we want to separate the fact from the fiction, the ostentatious embellishments from the raw evidence -- and even more so if we hope to participate in the future, rather than being simple bystanders. In The Art of Statistics, world-renowned statistician David Spiegelhalter shows readers how to derive knowledge from raw data by focusing on the concepts and connections behind the math. Drawing on real world examples to introduce complex issues, he shows us how statistics can help us determine the luckiest passenger on the Titanic, whether a notorious serial killer could have been caught earlier, and if screening for ovarian cancer is beneficial. The Art of Statistics not only shows us how mathematicians have used statistical science to solve these problems -- it teaches us how we too can think like statisticians. We learn how to clarify our questions, assumptions, and expectations when approaching a problem, and -- perhaps even more importantly -- we learn how to responsibly interpret the answers we receive. Combining the incomparable insight of an expert with the playful enthusiasm of an aficionado, The Art of Statistics is the definitive guide to stats that every modern person needs.

Think Stats

Think Stats
Author: Allen B. Downey
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2011-07-01
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1449313108

If you know how to program, you have the skills to turn data into knowledge using the tools of probability and statistics. This concise introduction shows you how to perform statistical analysis computationally, rather than mathematically, with programs written in Python. You'll work with a case study throughout the book to help you learn the entire data analysis process—from collecting data and generating statistics to identifying patterns and testing hypotheses. Along the way, you'll become familiar with distributions, the rules of probability, visualization, and many other tools and concepts. Develop your understanding of probability and statistics by writing and testing code Run experiments to test statistical behavior, such as generating samples from several distributions Use simulations to understand concepts that are hard to grasp mathematically Learn topics not usually covered in an introductory course, such as Bayesian estimation Import data from almost any source using Python, rather than be limited to data that has been cleaned and formatted for statistics tools Use statistical inference to answer questions about real-world data

The Role of Mathematics in Evolutionary Theory

The Role of Mathematics in Evolutionary Theory
Author: Jun Otsuka
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 75
Release: 2019-10-17
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781108727853

The central role of mathematical modeling in modern evolutionary theory has raised a concern as to why and how abstract formulae can say anything about empirical phenomena of evolution. This Element introduces existing philosophical approaches to this problem and proposes a new account according to which evolutionary models are based on causal, and not just mathematical, assumptions. The novel account features causal models both as the Humean 'uniform nature' underlying evolutionary induction and as the organizing framework that integrates mathematical and empirical assumptions into a cohesive network of beliefs that functions together to achieve epistemic goals of evolutionary biology.

Think Stats

Think Stats
Author: Allen B. Downey
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2014-10-16
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1491907363

If you know how to program, you have the skills to turn data into knowledge, using tools of probability and statistics. This concise introduction shows you how to perform statistical analysis computationally, rather than mathematically, with programs written in Python. By working with a single case study throughout this thoroughly revised book, you’ll learn the entire process of exploratory data analysis—from collecting data and generating statistics to identifying patterns and testing hypotheses. You’ll explore distributions, rules of probability, visualization, and many other tools and concepts. New chapters on regression, time series analysis, survival analysis, and analytic methods will enrich your discoveries. Develop an understanding of probability and statistics by writing and testing code Run experiments to test statistical behavior, such as generating samples from several distributions Use simulations to understand concepts that are hard to grasp mathematically Import data from most sources with Python, rather than rely on data that’s cleaned and formatted for statistics tools Use statistical inference to answer questions about real-world data

Statistical Inference as Severe Testing

Statistical Inference as Severe Testing
Author: Deborah G. Mayo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 503
Release: 2018-09-20
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1108563309

Mounting failures of replication in social and biological sciences give a new urgency to critically appraising proposed reforms. This book pulls back the cover on disagreements between experts charged with restoring integrity to science. It denies two pervasive views of the role of probability in inference: to assign degrees of belief, and to control error rates in a long run. If statistical consumers are unaware of assumptions behind rival evidence reforms, they can't scrutinize the consequences that affect them (in personalized medicine, psychology, etc.). The book sets sail with a simple tool: if little has been done to rule out flaws in inferring a claim, then it has not passed a severe test. Many methods advocated by data experts do not stand up to severe scrutiny and are in tension with successful strategies for blocking or accounting for cherry picking and selective reporting. Through a series of excursions and exhibits, the philosophy and history of inductive inference come alive. Philosophical tools are put to work to solve problems about science and pseudoscience, induction and falsification.

The Data Detective

The Data Detective
Author: Tim Harford
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2021-02-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0593084675

From “one of the great (greatest?) contemporary popular writers on economics” (Tyler Cowen) comes a smart, lively, and encouraging rethinking of how to use statistics. Today we think statistics are the enemy, numbers used to mislead and confuse us. That’s a mistake, Tim Harford says in The Data Detective. We shouldn’t be suspicious of statistics—we need to understand what they mean and how they can improve our lives: they are, at heart, human behavior seen through the prism of numbers and are often “the only way of grasping much of what is going on around us.” If we can toss aside our fears and learn to approach them clearly—understanding how our own preconceptions lead us astray—statistics can point to ways we can live better and work smarter. As “perhaps the best popular economics writer in the world” (New Statesman), Tim Harford is an expert at taking complicated ideas and untangling them for millions of readers. In The Data Detective, he uses new research in science and psychology to set out ten strategies for using statistics to erase our biases and replace them with new ideas that use virtues like patience, curiosity, and good sense to better understand ourselves and the world. As a result, The Data Detective is a big-idea book about statistics and human behavior that is fresh, unexpected, and insightful.

Regression Modeling Strategies

Regression Modeling Strategies
Author: Frank E. Harrell
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2013-03-09
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 147573462X

Many texts are excellent sources of knowledge about individual statistical tools, but the art of data analysis is about choosing and using multiple tools. Instead of presenting isolated techniques, this text emphasizes problem solving strategies that address the many issues arising when developing multivariable models using real data and not standard textbook examples. It includes imputation methods for dealing with missing data effectively, methods for dealing with nonlinear relationships and for making the estimation of transformations a formal part of the modeling process, methods for dealing with "too many variables to analyze and not enough observations," and powerful model validation techniques based on the bootstrap. This text realistically deals with model uncertainty and its effects on inference to achieve "safe data mining".

Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics

Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics
Author: Neil J. Salkind
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 620
Release: 2016-01-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1483374106

Based on Neil J. Salkind’s bestselling text, Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics, this adapted Excel 2016 version presents an often intimidating and difficult subject in a way that is clear, informative, and personable. Researchers and students uncomfortable with the analysis portion of their work will appreciate the book′s unhurried pace and thorough, friendly presentation. Opening with an introduction to Excel 2016, including functions and formulas, this edition shows students how to install the Excel Data Analysis Tools option to access a host of useful analytical techniques and then walks them through various statistical procedures, beginning with correlations and graphical representation of data and ending with inferential techniques and analysis of variance. New to the Fourth Edition: A new chapter 20 dealing with large data sets using Excel functions and pivot tables, and illustrating how certain databases and other categories of functions and formulas can help make the data in big data sets easier to work with and the results more understandable. New chapter-ending exercises are included and contain a variety of levels of application. Additional TechTalks have been added to help students master Excel 2016. A new, chapter-ending Real World Stats feature shows readers how statistics is applied in the everyday world. Basic maths instruction and practice exercises for those who need to brush up on their math skills are included in the appendix.

Think Bayes

Think Bayes
Author: Allen Downey
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2013-09-12
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1491945443

If you know how to program with Python, and know a little about probability, you're ready to tackle Bayesian statistics. This book shows you how to use Python code instead of math to help you learn Bayesian fundamentals. Once you get the math out of the way, you'll be able to apply these techniques to real-world problems.