Survival Analysis By Example

This is an applied handbook on survival analysis (also known as reliability or duration analysis) with annotated examples using S-Plus or R. This is the first book ever explaining survival analysis by example and is intended for users at all levels. The examples can easily be replicated using other software. Key topics include exploratory analyses, parametric, non-parametric and semi-parametric models, and model selection.

A straightforward and easy-to-follow introduction to the main concepts and techniques of the subject. It is based on numerous courses given by the author to students and researchers in the health sciences and is written with such readers in mind. A "user-friendly" layout includes numerous illustrations and exercises and the book is written in such a way so as to enable readers learn directly without the assistance of a classroom instructor. Throughout, there is an emphasis on presenting each new topic backed by real examples of a survival analysis investigation, followed up with thorough analyses of real data sets. Each chapter concludes with practice exercises to help readers reinforce their understanding of the concepts covered, before going on to a more comprehensive test. Answers to both are included. Readers will enjoy David Kleinbaums style of presentation, making this an excellent introduction for all those coming to the subject for the first time.

Survival analysis deals with the distribution of life times, essentially the times from an initiating event such as birth or the start of a job to some terminal event such as death or pension. This book, originally published in 1980, surveys and analyzes methods that use survival measurements and concepts, and helps readers apply the appropriate method for a given situation. Four broad sections cover introductions to data, univariate survival function, multiple-failure data, and advanced topics.

"[This book] provides new researchers with the foundation for understanding the various approaches for analyzing time-to-event data. This book serves not only as a tutorial for those wishing to learn survival analysis but as a ... reference for experienced researchers ..."--Book jacket.

Well received in its first edition, Survival Analysis: A Practical Approach is completely revised to provide an accessible and practical guide to survival analysis techniques in diverse environments. Illustrated with many authentic examples, the book introduces basic statistical concepts and methods to construct survival curves, later developing them to encompass more specialised and complex models. During the years since the first edition there have been several new topics that have come to the fore and many new applications. Parallel developments in computer software programmes, used to implement these methodologies, are relied upon throughout the text to bring it up to date.

This monograph contains many ideas on the analysis of survival data to present a comprehensive account of the field. The value of survival analysis is not confined to medical statistics, where the benefit of the analysis of data on such factors as life expectancy and duration of periods of freedom from symptoms of a disease as related to a treatment applied individual histories and so on, is obvious. The techniques also find important applications in industrial life testing and a range of subjects from physics to econometrics. In the eleven chapters of the book the methods and applications of are discussed and illustrated by examples.

Making complex methods more accessible to applied researchers without an advanced mathematical background, the authors present the essence of new techniques available, as well as classical techniques, and apply them to data. Practical suggestions for implementing the various methods are set off in a series of practical notes at the end of each section, while technical details of the derivation of the techniques are sketched in the technical notes. This book will thus be useful for investigators who need to analyse censored or truncated life time data, and as a textbook for a graduate course in survival analysis, the only prerequisite being a standard course in statistical methodology.

Despite the recent rapid growth in machine learning and predictive analytics, many of the statistical questions that are faced by researchers and practitioners still involve explaining why something is happening. Regression analysis is the best ‘swiss army knife’ we have for answering these kinds of questions. This book is a learning resource on inferential statistics and regression analysis. It teaches how to do a wide range of statistical analyses in both R and in Python, ranging from simple hypothesis testing to advanced multivariate modelling. Although it is primarily focused on examples related to the analysis of people and talent, the methods easily transfer to any discipline. The book hits a ‘sweet spot’ where there is just enough mathematical theory to support a strong understanding of the methods, but with a step-by-step guide and easily reproducible examples and code, so that the methods can be put into practice immediately. This makes the book accessible to a wide readership, from public and private sector analysts and practitioners to students and researchers. Key Features: • 16 accompanying datasets across a wide range of contexts (e.g. academic, corporate, sports, marketing) • Clear step-by-step instructions on executing the analyses. • Clear guidance on how to interpret results. • Primary instruction in R but added sections for Python coders. • Discussion exercises and data exercises for each of the main chapters. • Final chapter of practice material and datasets ideal for class homework or project work.