Statistics as principled argument / Robert P. Abelson.
The author delves into the too-often-dismissed problems of interpreting quantitative data and then presenting them in the context of a coherent story about one's research ... The focus of the book is that the purpose of statistics is to organize a useful argument from quantitative evidence, usi...
Saved in:
| Online Access: |
Full Text (via Taylor & Francis) |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Hillsdale, N.J. :
L. Erlbaum Associates,
1995.
|
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | The author delves into the too-often-dismissed problems of interpreting quantitative data and then presenting them in the context of a coherent story about one's research ... The focus of the book is that the purpose of statistics is to organize a useful argument from quantitative evidence, using a form of principled rhetoric. Five criteria, described by the acronym MAGIC (magnitude, articulation, generality, interestingness, and credibility) are proposed as crucial features of a persuasive, principled argument. Particular statistical methods are discussed, with minimum use of formulas and heavy data sets. The ideas throughout the book revolve around elementary probability theory, t tests, and simple issues of research design. It is therefore assumed that the reader has already had some access to elementary statistics. Many examples are included to explain the connection of statistics to substantive claims about real phenomena. |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (xv, 221 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-211) and indexes. |
| ISBN: | 0585176590 9780585176598 9781135694425 1135694427 |