Preface to the fourth edition

Introduction

1. Descriptive statistics
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • Summarising data using graphical techniques
   • Looking at cross-section data: wealth in the UK in 2005
   • Summarising data using numerical techniques
   • The box and whiskers diagram
   • Time-series data: investment expenditures 1977–2009
   • Graphing bivariate data: the scatter diagram
   • Data transformations
   • The information and data explosion
   • Writing statistical reports
   • Guidance to the student: how to measure your progress
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
   • Appendix 1A: S notation
   • Problems on S notation
   • Appendix 1B: E and V operators
   • Appendix 1C: Using logarithms
   • Problems on logarithms
   • References
2. Probability
   • Learning outcomes
   • Probability theory and statistical inference
   • The definition of probability
   • Probability theory: the building blocks
   • Bayes’ theorem
   • Decision analysis
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
3. Probability distributions
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • Random variables
   • The Binomial distribution
   • The Normal distribution
   • The distribution of the sample mean
   • The relationship between the Binomial and Normal distributions
   • The Poisson distribution
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
4. Estimation and confidence intervals
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • Point and interval estimation
   • Rules and criteria for finding estimates
   • Estimation with large samples
   • Precisely what is a confidence interval?
   • Estimation with small samples: the t distribution
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
   • Appendix: Derivations of sampling distributions
5. Hypothesis testing
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • The concepts of hypothesis testing
   • The Prob-value approach
   • Significance, effect size and power
   • Further hypothesis tests
   • Hypothesis tests with small samples
   • Are the test procedures valid?
   • Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals
   • Independent and dependent samples
   • Issues with hypothesis testing
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
6. The c² and F distributions
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • The c² distribution
   • The F distribution
   • Analysis of variance
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
   • Appendix: Use of c² and F distribution tables
7. Correlation and regression
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • What determines the birth rate in developing countries?
   • Correlation
   • Regression analysis
   • Inference in the regression model
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
   • References
8. Multiple regression
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • Principles of multiple regression
   • What determines imports into the UK?
   • Finding the right model
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • Answers to Exercises
   • References
9. Data collection and sampling methods
   • Learning outcomes
   • Introduction
   • Using secondary data sources
   • Collecting primary data
   • Random sampling
   • Calculating the required sample size
   • Collecting the sample
   • Case study: the UK Living Costs and Food Survey
   • Chapter summary
   • Key terms and concepts
   • Problems
   • References
10. Index numbers
    • Learning outcomes
    • Introduction
    • A simple index number
    • A price index with more than one commodity
    • Using expenditures as weights
    • Quantity and expenditure indices
    • The Consumer Price Index
    • Discounting and present values
    • Inequality indices
    • The Lorenz curve
    • The Gini coefficient
    • Concentration ratios
    • Chapter summary
    • Key terms and concepts
    • Problems
    • Answers to Exercises
    • Appendix: deriving the expenditure share form of the
    • Laspeyres price index
    • References
11. Seasonal adjustment of time series data
    • Learning outcomes
    • Introduction
    • The components of a time series
    • Isolating the trend
    • Isolating seasonal factors
    • Seasonal adjustment
    • An alternative method for finding the trend
    • Forecasting
    • Further issues
    • Chapter summary
    • Key terms and concepts
    • Problems
    • Answers to Exercises

List of important formulae

Appendix: Tables

Answers to problems

Index