Data Analysis and Regression: A Second Course in Statistics

The assumption is made in this volume devoted to data analysis and regression that the student has had a 1st course in statistics. Attitudes and approaches are more important than the techniques this book can teach. Readers can learn to identify at least the following attitudes understanding and approaches: an approach to the formulation of statistical and data analytical problems such that for example the students shortcut to inference can be properly understood and the role of vague concepts becomes clear; the role of indications (of pointers to behavior not necessarily on prechosen scales) in contrast to conclusions or decisions about prechosen quantities or alternatives; the importance of displays and the value of graphs in forcing the unexpected upon the reader; the importance of re-expression; the need to seek out the real uncertainty as a nontrivial task; the importance of iterated calculation; how the ideas of robustness and resistance can change both what one does and what one thinks; what regression is all about; what regression coefficient can and cannot do; that the behavior of ones data can often be used to guide its analysis; the importance of looking at and drawing information from residuals; and the idea that data analysis can profit from repeated starts and fresh approaches and that there is not just a single analysis for a substantial problem. The 16 chapters of this book include the following: some practical philosophy for data analysis; a background for simple linear regression; the nature and importance of re-expression; a method of direct assessment; the direct and flexible approach to 2 way tables; a review of resistant/robust techniques in the simpler applications; standardization; regression and regression coefficients; a mathematical approach to understanding regression; guided regression and examining regression residuals. Among the special features of this volume are the following: an introduction to stem and leaf displays; use of running medians for smoothing; the ladder of re-expression for straightening curves; methods of re-expression for analysis; special tables to make re-expression easy in hand calculations; robust and resistant measures of location and scale; and regression with errors of measurement.