Statistical Rules of Thumb

Praise for the First Edition:

"For a beginner [this book] is a treasure trove; for an experienced person it can provide new ideas on how better to pursue the subject of applied statistics."
―Journal of Quality Technology

Sensibly organized for quick reference, Statistical Rules of Thumb, Second Edition compiles simple rules that are widely applicable, robust, and elegant, and each captures key statistical concepts. This unique guide to the use of statistics for designing, conducting, and analyzing research studies illustrates real-world statistical applications through examples from fields such as public health and environmental studies. Along with an insightful discussion of the reasoning behind every technique, this easy-to-use handbook also conveys the various possibilities statisticians must think of when designing and conducting a study or analyzing its data.

Each chapter presents clearly defined rules related to inference, covariation, experimental design, consultation, and data representation, and each rule is organized and discussed under five succinct headings: introduction; statement and illustration of the rule; the derivation of the rule; a concluding discussion; and exploration of the concept's extensions. The author also introduces new rules of thumb for topics such as sample size for ratio analysis, absolute and relative risk, ANCOVA cautions, and dichotomization of continuous variables. Additional features of the Second Edition include:

• Additional rules on Bayesian topics

• New chapters on observational studies and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)

• Additional emphasis on variation and causation

• Updated material with new references, examples, and sources

A related Web site provides a rich learning environment and contains additional rules, presentations by the author, and a message board where readers can share their own strategies and discoveries. Statistical Rules of Thumb, Second Edition is an ideal supplementary book for courses in experimental design and survey research methods at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as an indispensable reference for statisticians, researchers, consultants, and scientists who would like to develop an understanding of the statistical foundations of their research efforts. A related website www.vanbelle.org provides additional rules, author presentations and more.

GERALD van BELLE, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. He is the author or coauthor of more than 130 journal articles and several books, including Biostatistics: A Methodology for the Health Sciences, also published by Wiley. A recipient of the 2003 Wiley Author of the Year Award (Mathematics and Statistics Section), Dr. van Belle is a Fellow of both the American Statistical Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.