Introductory Statistics

This practical text is essential for students taking statistics as a major or minor in all tertiary institutions; for researchers in social sciences, sciences, engineering and education; for professional examination candidates and the general users of statistics. The book provides a solid foundation in statistics in a simple but down-to-earth style. The language is simple and easy to comprehend. The examples are drawn from common events and everyday activities.

The distinguishing feature of the book is the inclusion in every chapter, sections on technological corner and wrap-up. The technological corner provides the reader the hands-on experience to use relevant statistical packages to conduct statistical analysis while the wrap-up provides a succinct review of the key concepts and formulae used in the chapter. The “Self Test” section helps one examine his/her level of comprehension. In all, the book represents a balanced mix of theory and practice.

The book covers:

 data types, sources, collection, presentation and measurement problems;
 location, partition, variability and shape of a distribution;
 nature, types and measure of association among variables;
 time-series analysis, index numbers and rates;
 probability and probability distributions (some discrete and continuous);
 sampling distribution, parameter estimation and hypothesis testing;
 computation and interpretation of p-value in statistical inference;
 chi-square and analysis of variance.

Introductory Statistics appeals to students desirous of achieving success in their examinations and practitioners concerned with evidence-based decisions. Lecturers will find this text very valuable in the teaching of courses such as Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Inference and Probability.