Statistics For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Part V

Statistical Studies and the Hunt for a Meaningful Relationship

In this part …

Many statistics you hear and see each day are based on the results of surveys, experiments, and observational studies. Unfortunately, you can't believe everything you read or hear.

In this part, you look at what actually happens behind the scenes of these studies — how they are designed and conducted and how the data is (supposed to be) collected — so that you'll be able to spot misleading results. You also see what's needed to conduct your own study correctly and effectively.

You also analyze data from good studies to look for relationships between two variables, where both variables are categorical (using two-way tables) or both are numerical (using correlation and regression). In addition, you see how to make proper conclusions and spot problems.