Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics

The study of measurement and statistics can be less than inviting. However, in fields as varying as education, politics, and health care, assessment and the use of measurement and statistics have become integral parts of almost every activity undertaken. These activities require the organization of ideas, the generation of hypotheses, the collection of data, and the interpretation, illustration, and analysis of data. No matter where educated people look, this critical analysis is more important than ever in an age where information—and lots of it—is readily available.    The ideas and tools contained in the Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics are approachable and can be invaluable for understanding a very technical world and the increasing flow of information. Although there are references that cover statistics and assessment in depth, none provides as comprehensive a resource in as focused and accessible a manner as the three volumes of this Encyclopedia. Through approximately 500 contributions, experts provide an overview and an explanation of the major topics in these two areas.   Key Features Covers every major facet of these two different, but highly integrated disciplines—from mean, mode, and median to reliability, validity, significance, correlation, and much more—all without overwhelming the informed reader Offers cross-disciplinary coverage, with contributions from and applications to the fields of Psychology, Education, Sociology, Human Development, Political Science, Business and Management, Public Health, and others  Provides cross-reference terms, further readings, and Web site URLs following most entries, as well as an extensive set of appendices and an annotated list of organizations relevant to measurement and statistics Appendices Features Appendix A is a guide to basic statistics for those readers who might like an instructional step-by-step presentation of basic concepts in statistics and measurement Appendix B is a table of critical values used in hypothesis testing and an important part of any reference in this area Appendix C represents a collection of some important and useful measurement and statistics Internet sites  A primary goal of creating this set of volumes is to open up the broad discipline of measurement and statistics to a wider and more general audience than usual. Edited by bestselling author Neil J. Salkind, this Encyclopedia is specifically designed to appeal to beginning and intermediate-level students, practitioners, researchers, and consumers of information. It is a welcome addition to any academic library.

About the Author :
Neil J. Salkind received his PhD in human development from the University of Maryland, and after teaching for 35 years at the University of Kansas, he was Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology and Research in Education, where he collaborated with colleagues and work with students. His early interests were in the area of children’s cognitive development, and after research in the areas of cognitive style and (what was then known as) hyperactivity, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Bush Center for Child and Family Policy. His work then changed direction to focus on child and family policy, specifically the impact of alternative forms of public support on various child and family outcomes. He delivered more than 150 professional papers and presentations; written more than 100 trade and textbooks; and is the author of Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics (SAGE), Theories of Human Development (SAGE), and Exploring Research (Prentice Hall). He has edited several encyclopedias, including the Encyclopedia of Human Development, the Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics, and the Encyclopedia of Research Design. He was editor of Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography for 13 years. He lived in Lawrence, Kansas, where he liked to read, swim with the River City Sharks, work as the proprietor and sole employee of big boy press, bake brownies (see www.statisticsforpeople.com for the recipe), and poke around old Volvos and old houses.

Review :
"The Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics presents state-of-the-art information and ready-to-use-facts from the fields of measurement and statistics in an un-intimidating style. The ideas and tools contained in theses pages are approachable and can be invaluable for understanding our very technical world and the increasing flow of information. Although there are references that cover statistics and assessment in depth, none provides as comprehensive a resource in as focused and accessible a manner as the two volumes of this encyclopedia. Through approximately 500 contributions, experts provide an overview and an explanation of the major topics in these two areas." "Since all students grapple daily with research that has components of statistics and/or measurements, they will find this tool to be a solid choice. In 1,100 pages, the encyclopedia succinctly defines more than 600 concepts. The index is easy to use and has appropriate cross-referencing. The style is good technical writing, understandable to generalists or undergraduates. This is a strong candidate for all reference collections serving the general public and undergraduates. Highly recommended."