Do you want to know what a parametric test is and when not to perform one? Do you get confused between odds ratios and relative risks? Want to understand the difference between sensitivity and specificity? Would like to find out what the fuss is about Bayes' theorem? Then this book is for you! Physicians need to understand the principles behind medical statistics. They don't need to learn the formula. The software knows it already! This book explains the fundamental concepts of medical statistics so that the learner will become confident in performing the most commonly used statistical tests. Each chapter is rich in anecdotes, illustrations, questions, and answers. Not enough? There is more material online with links to free statistical software, webpages, multimedia content, a practice dataset to get hands-on with data analysis, and a Single Best Answer questionnaire for the exam.
• An overview of descriptive and inferential statistics without formulas and computations. • Clear and to-the-point narrative makes this short book perfect for all courses in which statistics are discussed. • Helps statistics students who are struggling with the concepts. Shows them the meanings of the statistics they are computing. • This book is easy to digest because it is divided into short sections with review questions at the end of each section. • Running sidebars draw students’ attention to important concepts.
Now in its fourth edition, Medical Statistics at a Glance is a concise and accessible introduction to this complex subject. It provides clear instruction on how to apply commonly used statistical procedures in an easy-to-read, comprehensive and relevant volume. This new edition continues to be the ideal introductory manual and reference guide to medical statistics, an invaluable companion for statistics lectures and a very useful revision aid. This new edition of Medical Statistics at a Glance: Offers guidance on the practical application of statistical methods in conducting research and presenting results Explains the underlying concepts of medical statistics and presents the key facts without being unduly mathematical Contains succinct self-contained chapters, each with one or more examples, many of them new, to illustrate the use of the methodology described in the chapter. Now provides templates for critical appraisal, checklists for the reporting of randomized controlled trials and observational studies and references to the EQUATOR guidelines for the presentation of study results for many other types of study Includes extensive cross-referencing, flowcharts to aid the choice of appropriate tests, learning objectives for each chapter, a glossary of terms and a glossary of annotated full computer output relevant to the examples in the text Provides cross-referencing to the multiple choice and structured questions in the companion Medical Statistics at a Glance Workbook Medical Statistics at a Glance is a must-have text for undergraduate and post-graduate medical students, medical researchers and biomedical and pharmaceutical professionals.
'I couldn't imagine a better guidebook for making sense of a tragic and momentous time in our lives. Covid by Numbers is comprehensive yet concise, impeccably clear and always humane' Tim Harford How many people have died because of COVID-19? Which countries have been hit hardest by the virus? What are the benefits and harms of different vaccines? How does COVID-19 compare to the Spanish flu? How have the lockdown measures affected the economy, mental health and crime? This year we have been bombarded by statistics - seven day rolling averages, rates of infection, excess deaths. Never have numbers been more central to our national conversation, and never has it been more important that we think about them clearly. In the media and in their Observer column, Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter and RSS Statistical Ambassador Anthony Masters have interpreted these statistics, offering a vital public service by giving us the tools we need to make sense of the virus for ourselves and holding the government to account. In Covid by Numbers, they crunch the data on a year like no other, exposing the leading misconceptions about the virus and the vaccine, and answering our essential questions. This timely, concise and approachable book offers a rare depth of insight into one of the greatest upheavals in history, and a trustworthy guide to these most uncertain of times.
This long awaited second edition of this bestseller continues toprovide a comprehensive, user friendly, down-to-earth guide toelementary statistics. The book presents a detailed account ofthe most important procedures for the analysis of data, from thecalculation of simple proportions, to a variety of statisticaltests, and the use of regression models for modeling of clinicaloutcomes. The level of mathematics is kept to a minimum to make thematerial easily accessible to the novice, and a multitude ofillustrative cases are included in every chapter, drawn from thecurrent research literature. The new edition has beencompletely revised and updated and includes new chapters on basicquantitative methods, measuring survival, measurement scales,diagnostic testing, bayesian methods, meta-analysis and systematicreviews. "... After years of trying and failing, this is the only book onstatistics that i have managed to read and understand" - NaveedKirmani, Surgical Registrar, South London Healthcare HHS Trust,UK
Making Sense of Statistical Methods in Social Research is a critical introduction to the use of statistical methods in social research. It provides a unique approach to statistics that concentrates on helping social researchers think about the conceptual basis for the statistical methods they′re using. Whereas other statistical methods books instruct students in how to get through the statistics-based elements of their chosen course with as little mathematical knowledge as possible, this book aims to improve students′ statistical literacy, with the ultimate goal of turning them into competent researchers. Making Sense of Statistical Methods in Social Research contains careful discussion of the conceptual foundation of statistical methods, specifying what questions they can, or cannot, answer. The logic of each statistical method or procedure is explained, drawing on the historical development of the method, existing publications that apply the method, and methodological discussions. Statistical techniques and procedures are presented not for the purpose of showing how to produce statistics with certain software packages, but as a way of illuminating the underlying logic behind the symbols. The limited statistical knowledge that students gain from straight forward ′how-to′ books makes it very hard for students to move beyond introductory statistics courses to postgraduate study and research. This book should help to bridge this gap.
It is not necessary to know how to do a statistical analysis to critically appraise a paper. However, it is necessary to have a grasp of the basics, of whether the right test has been used and how to interpret the resulting figures. Short, readable, and useful, this book provides the essential, basic information without becoming bogged down in the
Every day, we evaluate the people around us: It's one of the most important things we ever do. Making Sense of People provides the scientific frameworks and tools we need to improve our intuition, and assess people more consciously, systematically, and effectively. Leading neuroscientist Samuel H. Barondes explains the research behind each standard personality category: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. He shows readers how to use these traits and assessments to do a better job of deciding who they'll enjoy spending time with, whom to trust, and whom to keep at a distance. Barondes explains: What neuroscience and psychological research can tell us about how personality types develop and cohere. The intertwined roles of genes, nurture, and education in personality development. How to recognize troublesome personality patterns such as narcissism, sociopathy, and paranoia. How much a child's behavior predicts their adult personality, and how personality stabilizes in young adulthood. How to assess integrity, fairness, wisdom, and other traits related to morality. What genetic testing may (or may not) teach us about personality in the future. General strategies for getting along with people, with specific tactics for special circumstances. Kirkus Reviews A succinct look at personality psychology. As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of California, Barondes (Molecules and Mental Illness, 2007, etc.) has spent years studying human behavior, and this book reflects his systematic, scientific approach for personality assessment. The average person isn't likely to have time to research a difficult boss or potential love interest, but the author supplements intuition with a useful cornerstone for gauging human behavior: a table of the "Big Five" personality traits, among them Extraversion vs. Introversion and Agreeableness vs. Antagonism. To learn how to apply the Big Five, Barondes supplies a link for a professional online personality test, in addition to a basic introduction of troubling personality patterns–e.g., narcissism and compulsiveness. While genetics may play a heavy hand in influencing personality, Barondes writes, it's awareness of a person's background, character and life story that is paramount in unearthing reasons for adult behavior. Readers might like to see the author weave more everyday examples into the text–his exercise in fostering compassion by imagining an adult as a 10-year-old child is a gem–but there is plenty here to ponder. Those looking for traditional "self-help" advice won't find it here, but this book clearly lays the groundwork for deeper human interaction and better life relationships.
Practical Statistics for Medical Research is a problem-based text for medical researchers, medical students, and others in the medical arena who need to use statistics but have no specialized mathematics background. The author draws on twenty years of experience as a consulting medical statistician to provide clear explanations to key statistical concepts, with a firm emphasis on practical aspects of designing and analyzing medical research. Using real data and including dozens of interesting data sets, this bestselling text gives special attention to the presentation and interpretation of results and the many real problems that arise in medical research.
