Fundamentals of Statistics for Researchers and Data Analysts

Fundamentals of Statistics for Researchers and Data Analysts explains statistical methods, and the assumptions and prerequisites for applying various analytical tools from an statistical point of view. Statistical analysis has become indispensable in almost all fields of science, business, industry and medicine, for evidence-based decision making and forecasting. However, due to lack of fundamental understanding of statistics, results of data analysis often remain inconclusive or erroneous. In addition, data analysts or even statistical advisers may not be familiar with the subject area of the data, leading to inaccurate application of statistical tools and interpretation of results. To address these issues, this book breaks down the concepts of statistics into accessible, practical explanations with real-world examples. The book is organized by first explaining what statistical thinking is and how one should proceed with formulating their question in terms of a statistical hypothesis. Then step by step, topics are explained in detail, including data generation by choice of proper study design, data collection methods, identifying outliers, methods of data analysis, and finally interpretation of results to help make the required decision. Essential statistical methods such as classification techniques, correlation analysis, regression models, probability distributions, model building and statistical tests of significance are explained with live datasets using Excel and SPSS. Fundamentals of Statistics for Researchers and Data Analysts instructs readers on the precise methodology of analyzing data and interpretation of statistical results to arrive at a valid conclusion. Readers can use the same methodology from the case studies given in the book for their own applications and research by replacing the variables in the examples with the variables from their own datasets. The book ensures that readers are well-prepared for data-driven roles in various sectors. - Presents an application-oriented approach towards statistical data analysis with minimal theory - Highlights the importance of prerequisites of data for applying particular statistical methods - Contains a variety of case studies and solved examples using software such as Excel and SPSS, along with the actual datasets