Principles of Applied Statistics

Applied statistics is more than data analysis, but it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. David Cox and Christl Donnelly distil decades of scientific experience into usable principles for the successful application of statistics, showing how good statistical strategy shapes every stage of an investigation. As you advance from research or policy question, to study design, through modelling and interpretation, and finally to meaningful conclusions, this book will be a valuable guide. Over a hundred illustrations from a wide variety of real applications make the conceptual points concrete, illuminating your path and deepening your understanding. This book is essential reading for anyone who makes extensive use of statistical methods in their work.

Table of Contents:
Preface; 1. Some general concepts; 2. Design of studies; 3. Special types of study; 4. Principles of measurement; 5. Preliminary analysis; 6. Model formulation; 7. Model choice; 8. Techniques of formal inference; 9. Interpretation; 10. Epilogue; References; Index.

About the Author :
D. R. Cox is one of the world's pre-eminent statisticians. Author or co-author of numerous books and papers, his work on the proportional hazards regression model is one of the most-cited and most influential papers in modern statistics. In 2010 he won the Copley Medal of the Royal Society 'for his seminal contributions to the theory and application of statistics'. Christl A. Donnelly is a Professor of Statistical Epidemiology in the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College London and was deputy chair of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (1998 to 2007). She has worked on a range of other infectious diseases including BSE/vCJD, foot and mouth disease, SARS, influenza, malaria and neglected tropical diseases.

Review :
"This is an outstanding book in search of a proper audience. ... The authors do a really outstanding job of covering key elements of practice; they illustrate each point with examples (often more than one) nicely offset in gray boxes, and drawn from a huge range of fields. There are insights throughout the book, often ones that are not covered by more typical texts or courses. Despite being a statistical consultant for more than a decade, I learned a good deal and was, perhaps more importantly, given much to think about." Peter Flom, Significance "This book by David Cox and Christl Donnelly, Principles of Applied Statistics, is an extensive coverage of all the necessary steps and precautions one must go through when contemplating applied (i.e. real!) statistics. ... It constitutes a magnificent testimony to the depth and to the spectrum of our field." Christian Robert, Xi'an's Og full review "Principles of Applied Statistics by D. R. Cox and Christl A. Donnelly takes on arguably the most important element of statistical analysis. The authors address the fundamental question of how data analysis methods can be utilized so that when statistical techniques are applied, they yield accurate and useful inferences... Cox and Donnelly have successfully walked a tightrope between being too technical for the beginner and including enough sophistication for the advanced reader. An exceptional feature of their text is the large number of applied and interesting examples, which makes sometimes subtle statistical concepts accessible to a wide audience.... This book will be useful to persons with little experience with statistical methods as a guide to analytic strategies. Equally, for those familiar with statistical methods, the material is a clear and concise reminder of the critical importance of considerations beyond the technical assumptions necessary to apply statistical techniques." Steve Selvin, American Journal of Epidemiology "a valuable distillation of his experience of applied work. It stands as a summary of an entire tradition of using statistics to address scientific problems. If you do not have a few years to spend apprenticed to a master, I can think of few better ways of being initiated into that tradition than reading Principles of Applied Statistics." Cosma Shalizi, American Scientist "Overall this book provides very clear coverage of the non-technical aspects of statistical practice: a superb outline of the meta-level issues of actually analyzing data and answering statistical questions. It would provide an ideal complement to the more traditional courses to which statistics students are exposed. And—I cannot resist—should anyone still require convincing, it demonstrates perfectly that statistics is not merely a branch of mathematics." David J. Hand, Imperial College for International Statistical Review