Statistics at the Bench: A Step-by-Step Handbook for Biologists

Statistics at the Bench is a convenient bench-side companion for biologists, designed as a handy reference guide for elementary and intermediate statistical analyses. The expectations for biologists to have a more complete understanding of statistics are growing rapidly. New technologies and new areas of science, such as microarrays, next-generation sequencing, and proteomics, have dramatically increased the need for quantitative reasoning among biologists when designing experiments and interpreting results. Even the most routine informatics tools rely on statistical assumptions and methods that need to be appreciated if the scientific results are to be correct, understood, and exploited fully. This book is not a textbook. It is an essential handbook for working scientists. Statistics at the Bench provides a simple refresher for those who have forgotten what they once knew, and an overview for those wishing to use more quantitative reasoning in their research. Statistical methods, as well as guidelines for the interpretation of results, are explained using simple examples. Throughout the book, examples are accompanied by detailed Excel commands for easy reference.

Rebecca Whitbeck Doerge is an American researcher in statistical bioinformatics, known for her research on quantitative traits. Formerly the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor of Statistics at Purdue University, she is currently the dean of the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University, with joint appointments in the departments of biology and statistics.