Summary

This book provides students and research workers in the biological, medical and social sciences with the statistical background needed to collect and analyse data in an intelligent and critical manner. Key examples and case studies are used to illustrate commonly encountered research problems and to explain how they may be solved or even avoided altogether. Professor Manly also presents a clear understanding of the opportunities and limitations of different research designs, as well as an introduction to some new methods of analysis that are proving increasingly popular. Topics covered include the differences between observational and experimental studies; the design of sample surveys; multiple regression and its generalizations to log-linear and logistic models; experimental and quasi-experimental designs; interrupted time series; computer intensive methods of statistical inference; and the ethical considerations of research. In the final chapter, there is a useful discussion of how the various components of a research study (including deciding on the objectives, planning, designing, and the collection and analysis of data) come together. This practical and well-structured book will be essential reading for graduate students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines, including biology, anthropology, medicine and the social sciences.