Written specifically for graduate students and practitioners beginning social science research, Statistical Modeling and Inference for Social Science covers the essential statistical tools, models and theories that make up the social scientist's toolkit. Assuming no prior knowledge of statistics, this textbook introduces students to probability theory, statistical inference and statistical modeling, and emphasizes the connection between statistical procedures and social science theory. Sean Gailmard develops core statistical theory as a set of tools to model and assess relationships between variables - the primary aim of social scientists - and demonstrates the ways in which social scientists express and test substantive theoretical arguments in various models. Chapter exercises guide students in applying concepts to data, extending their grasp of core theoretical concepts. Students will also gain the ability to create, read and critique statistical applications in their fields of interest.

This book brings together a collection of articles on statistical methods relating to missing data analysis, including multiple imputation, propensity scores, instrumental variables, and Bayesian inference. Covering new research topics and real-world examples which do not feature in many standard texts. The book is dedicated to Professor Don Rubin (Harvard). Don Rubin has made fundamental contributions to the study of missing data. Key features of the book include: Comprehensive coverage of an imporant area for both research and applications. Adopts a pragmatic approach to describing a wide range of intermediate and advanced statistical techniques. Covers key topics such as multiple imputation, propensity scores, instrumental variables and Bayesian inference. Includes a number of applications from the social and health sciences. Edited and authored by highly respected researchers in the area.

Probability and Statistical Inference: From Basic Principles to Advanced Models covers aspects of probability, distribution theory, and inference that are fundamental to a proper understanding of data analysis and statistical modelling. It presents these topics in an accessible manner without sacrificing mathematical rigour, bridging the gap between the many excellent introductory books and the more advanced, graduate-level texts. The book introduces and explores techniques that are relevant to modern practitioners, while being respectful to the history of statistical inference. It seeks to provide a thorough grounding in both the theory and application of statistics, with even the more abstract parts placed in the context of a practical setting. Features: •Complete introduction to mathematical probability, random variables, and distribution theory. •Concise but broad account of statistical modelling, covering topics such as generalised linear models, survival analysis, time series, and random processes. •Extensive discussion of the key concepts in classical statistics (point estimation, interval estimation, hypothesis testing) and the main techniques in likelihood-based inference. •Detailed introduction to Bayesian statistics and associated topics. •Practical illustration of some of the main computational methods used in modern statistical inference (simulation, boostrap, MCMC). This book is for students who have already completed a first course in probability and statistics, and now wish to deepen and broaden their understanding of the subject. It can serve as a foundation for advanced undergraduate or postgraduate courses. Our aim is to challenge and excite the more mathematically able students, while providing explanations of statistical concepts that are more detailed and approachable than those in advanced texts. This book is also useful for data scientists, researchers, and other applied practitioners who want to understand the theory behind the statistical methods used in their fields.

This book, first published in 2007, is for the applied researcher performing data analysis using linear and nonlinear regression and multilevel models.

A multidisciplinary approach that emphasizes learning by analyzing real-world data sets This book is the result of the authors' hands-on classroom experience and is tailored to reflect how students best learn to analyze linear relationships. The text begins with the introduction of four simple examples of actual data sets. These examples are developed and analyzed throughout the text, and more complicated examples of data sets are introduced along the way. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the book traces the conclusion of the analyses of data sets taken from geology, biology, economics, psychology, education, sociology, and environmental science. As students learn to analyze the data sets, they master increasingly sophisticated linear modeling techniques, including: * Simple linear models * Multivariate models * Model building * Analysis of variance (ANOVA) * Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) * Logistic regression * Total least squares The basics of statistical analysis are developed and emphasized, particularly in testing the assumptions and drawing inferences from linear models. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter to test students' skills before moving on to more advanced techniques and models. These exercises are marked to indicate whether calculus, linear algebra, or computer skills are needed. Unlike other texts in the field, the mathematics underlying the models is carefully explained and accessible to students who may not have any background in calculus or linear algebra. Most chapters include an optional final section on linear algebra for students interested in developing a deeper understanding. The many data sets that appear in the text are available on the book's Web site. The MINITAB(r) software program is used to illustrate many of the examples. For students unfamiliar with MINITAB(r), an appendix introduces the key features needed to study linear models. With its multidisciplinary approach and use of real-world data sets that bring the subject alive, this is an excellent introduction to linear models for students in any of the natural or social sciences.

Mounting failures of replication in social and biological sciences give a new urgency to critically appraising proposed reforms. This book pulls back the cover on disagreements between experts charged with restoring integrity to science. It denies two pervasive views of the role of probability in inference: to assign degrees of belief, and to control error rates in a long run. If statistical consumers are unaware of assumptions behind rival evidence reforms, they can't scrutinize the consequences that affect them (in personalized medicine, psychology, etc.). The book sets sail with a simple tool: if little has been done to rule out flaws in inferring a claim, then it has not passed a severe test. Many methods advocated by data experts do not stand up to severe scrutiny and are in tension with successful strategies for blocking or accounting for cherry picking and selective reporting. Through a series of excursions and exhibits, the philosophy and history of inductive inference come alive. Philosophical tools are put to work to solve problems about science and pseudoscience, induction and falsification.

Modelling, Inference and Data Analysis brings together key topics in mathematical statistics and presents them in a rigorous yet accessible manner. It covers aspects of probability, distribution theory and random processes that are fundamental to a proper understanding of inference. The book also discusses the properties of estimators constructed from a random sample of ends, with sections on methods for estimating parameters in time series models and computationally intensive inferential techniques. The text challenges and excites the more mathematically able students while providing an approachable explanation of advanced statistical concepts for students who struggle with existing texts.

A guide to data collection, modeling and inference strategies for biological survey data using Bayesian and classical statistical methods.This book describes a general and flexible framework for modeling and inference in ecological systems based on hierarchical models, with a strict focus on the use of probability models and parametric inference. Hierarchical models represent a paradigm shift in the application of statistics to ecological inference problems because they combine explicit models of ecological system structure or dynamics with models of how ecological systems are observed. The principles of hierarchical modeling are developed and applied to problems in population, metapopulation, community, and metacommunity systems. The book provides the first synthetic treatment of many recent methodological advances in ecological modeling and unifies disparate methods and procedures.The authors apply principles of hierarchical modeling to ecological problems, including * occurrence or occupancy models for estimating species distribution* abundance models based on many sampling protocols, including distance sampling* capture-recapture models with individual effects* spatial capture-recapture models based on camera trapping and related methods* population and metapopulation dynamic models* models of biodiversity, community structure and dynamics - Wide variety of examples involving many taxa (birds, amphibians, mammals, insects, plants) - Development of classical, likelihood-based procedures for inference, as well as Bayesian methods of analysis - Detailed explanations describing the implementation of hierarchical models using freely available software such as R and WinBUGS - Computing support in technical appendices in an online companion web site

This concise, yet thorough, book is enhanced with simulations and graphs to build the intuition of readers Models for Probability and Statistical Inference was written over a five-year period and serves as a comprehensive treatment of the fundamentals of probability and statistical inference. With detailed theoretical coverage found throughout the book, readers acquire the fundamentals needed to advance to more specialized topics, such as sampling, linear models, design of experiments, statistical computing, survival analysis, and bootstrapping. Ideal as a textbook for a two-semester sequence on probability and statistical inference, early chapters provide coverage on probability and include discussions of: discrete models and random variables; discrete distributions including binomial, hypergeometric, geometric, and Poisson; continuous, normal, gamma, and conditional distributions; and limit theory. Since limit theory is usually the most difficult topic for readers to master, the author thoroughly discusses modes of convergence of sequences of random variables, with special attention to convergence in distribution. The second half of the book addresses statistical inference, beginning with a discussion on point estimation and followed by coverage of consistency and confidence intervals. Further areas of exploration include: distributions defined in terms of the multivariate normal, chi-square, t, and F (central and non-central); the one- and two-sample Wilcoxon test, together with methods of estimation based on both; linear models with a linear space-projection approach; and logistic regression. Each section contains a set of problems ranging in difficulty from simple to more complex, and selected answers as well as proofs to almost all statements are provided. An abundant amount of figures in addition to helpful simulations and graphs produced by the statistical package S-Plus(r) are included to help build the intuition of readers.

This book presents recently developed statistical methods and theory required for the application of the tools of functional data analysis to problems arising in geosciences, finance, economics and biology. It is concerned with inference based on second order statistics, especially those related to the functional principal component analysis. While it covers inference for independent and identically distributed functional data, its distinguishing feature is an in depth coverage of dependent functional data structures, including functional time series and spatially indexed functions. Specific inferential problems studied include two sample inference, change point analysis, tests for dependence in data and model residuals and functional prediction. All procedures are described algorithmically, illustrated on simulated and real data sets, and supported by a complete asymptotic theory. The book can be read at two levels. Readers interested primarily in methodology will find detailed descriptions of the methods and examples of their application. Researchers interested also in mathematical foundations will find carefully developed theory. The organization of the chapters makes it easy for the reader to choose an appropriate focus. The book introduces the requisite, and frequently used, Hilbert space formalism in a systematic manner. This will be useful to graduate or advanced undergraduate students seeking a self-contained introduction to the subject. Advanced researchers will find novel asymptotic arguments.