Synopsis

Purpose

This book was written to help people improve their ability to decipher and critically evaluate summaries of statistically-based research studies. (Click here for more information about the book's Purpose.)

Audience

There are two kinds of people who benefit from reading this book:

• People who are on the receiving end of others' research reports
• People who conduct their own investigations

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Unique Features

This book is different in five respects from other books having the same purpose and target populations. This book truly stands in a class by itself in terms of the:

• Incredibly large number of passages of text, tables, and figures that have been reproduced from recently published journal articles
• Diverse set of journals from which the excerpts were taken
• Detailed discussion of hypothesis testing (steps, logic, misuse)
• Distinction made between "statistical significance" and "practical significance"
• Author's on-line availability to any and all readers

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Topics Covered

The topics covered in the book's 21 chapters can be classified into these six categories:

• The format of research reports
• Descriptive statistics (including correlation, reliability, & validity)
• The basic logic of sampling, estimation, and hypothesis testing
• Tests on means using t-tests, ANOVA (one-way, two-way, three-way, fully repeated measures, and mixed varieties), and ANCOVA
• Tests on correlation coefficients, variances, proportions, and ranks
• Bivariate, multiple, and logistic regression

(Click here for more information about the book's Content.)

Length

707 pp. (including the preface, answers to review questions, and index)

Track Record

The 1st edition of this book was published in 1974. It was so successful that it remained in print for 22 years, a distinction few books can claim. The 2nd edition was published in 1996, with 20 of the 21 chapters being completely rewritten. At the request of loyal readers who wanted additional help with new topics, Addison-Wesley-Longman endorsed another revision that has produced the current 3rd edition.

Copyright © 2003 Schuyler W. Huck
All rights reserved.