Essential Statistics

This is an introductory text book for students taking statistics as a subsidiary to one of the sciences. The emphasis is on the concepts and assumptions underlying the various statistical methods used to analyze data gathered in surveys and experiments. The author has kept complex mathematical theory and notation to a minimum. Fully explained worked examples using "people" data from a variety of fields allows the student to see how statistics are used. Worksheets at the end of each chapter can then be used to test understanding. The main feature of this new edition is a substantial addition on applications of the interactive statistical computer package, Minitab. This package has become widely used in colleges as an aid to teaching statistics. The new chapter contains over 20 example programs illustrating how Minitab can be used to draw graphs, calculate statistics, carry out tests and perform simulations. The chapter could act as a primer for first-time Minitab users. Another change is that the conditions for the use of the normal approximation to the binomial have been brought into line with accepted practice.