The Statistical Consultant In Action

This book presents the human side of statistical consulting and illustrates the problems and opportunities that can arise for the modern consultant. Statistical problems occur in almost all areas of science, in medicine, in industry, in marketing, and in finance, and a wide range of interests is catered for by the twelve contributions to this unique volume. These contributions demonstrate that statistical consultancy provides a broad spectrum of intellectually stimulating problems, as well as being a vital tool in many aspects of modern life. The book will be valuable to university and college students of statistics and to all those who use statistical techniques in a consultancy environment of any kind.

This book is intended for the statistician or student interested in becoming a statistical consultant, as well as clients who need to understand what is involved in the consulting process. It discusses different consulting environments, provides detailed descriptions of communication skills a consultant must possess, and provides concrete examples and case-studies of varying complexity. Emphasis is placed on the importance of engaging the client's understanding of the purpose and interpretation of statistical procedures.

Note: There is now a newer book, "Hints for the New Statistical Consultant," which includes most of the material in this book. This book is written for individuals with a degree in statistics or closely related field who think they may be interested in statistical consulting, but have little or no experience (which in the beginning, none of us have). There are books which focus on communicating with the client, methods of analysis, and the financial aspects of the consulting business. This book simply offers a few tips that, hopefully, will help in understanding the researcher's data, in order to answer the questions that are asked or perhaps should have been asked. There is no substitute for experience, but there are things you can do, which should help, while you are gaining that experience.

Psychology plays an increasingly important role in today's society. Its influence can be seen all around us - be it in the home, the workplace, the school or our private lives. A uniquely diverse discipline, it ranges from social psychology to biological aspects of behaviour, and from basic research to the applied professions. This Companion Encyclopedia covers all these main branches of psychological research and professional practice. The thematic arrangement is the result of the Editor's extensive research into syllabi, from which he distilled the 13 most frequently taught units. Students can consult and be referred to sections relating to their lecture programme, and can find lucid definitions of frequently used terms in the Glossary. Headings and sub-headings are clearly highlighted at the beginning of each chapter - ideal for quick reference. * Provides authoritative and in-depth reference material on all major branches of psychological research and professional practice * Contributors include many of the world's most eminent psychologists * Written in a lively style without assuming previous knowledge of the subject * Structured according to the core topics appearing most often as discrete modules in contemporary psychology courses * Detailed bibliographies, further reading sections, exhaustive index and glossary of technical terms * Containing 165 supporting illustrations

How do you bridge the gap between what you learned in your statistics course and the questions you want to answer in your real-world research? Oriented towards distinct questions in a "How do I?" or "When should I?" format, Your Statistical Consultant is the equivalent of the expert colleague down the hall who fields questions about describing, explaining, and making recommendations regarding thorny or confusing statistical issues. The book serves as a compendium of statistical knowledge, both theoretical and applied, that addresses the questions most frequently asked by students, researchers and instructors. Written to be responsive to a wide range of inquiries and levels of expertise, the book is flexibly organized so readers can either read it sequentially or turn directly to the sections that correspond to their concerns.

This fully updated and revised third edition, presents a wide ranging, balanced account of the fundamental issues across the full spectrum of inference and decision-making. Much has happened in this field since the second edition was published: for example, Bayesian inferential procedures have not only gained acceptance but are often the preferred methodology. This book will be welcomed by both the student and practising statistician wishing to study at a fairly elementary level, the basic conceptual and interpretative distinctions between the different approaches, how they interrelate, what assumptions they are based on, and the practical implications of such distinctions. As in earlier editions, the material is set in a historical context to more powerfully illustrate the ideas and concepts. Includes fully updated and revised material from the successful second edition Recent changes in emphasis, principle and methodology are carefully explained and evaluated Discusses all recent major developments Particular attention is given to the nature and importance of basic concepts (probability, utility, likelihood etc) Includes extensive references and bibliography Written by a well-known and respected author, the essence of this successful book remains unchanged providing the reader with a thorough explanation of the many approaches to inference and decision making.

This book illuminates the complex process of problem solving, including formulating the problem, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting the conclusions.