Making Numbers Make Sense

Abstract

There are hundreds of statistics books in libraries and bookstores. When they were written, the author of every one thought his or hers was unique, and probably better than all the others, at least for some purposes. This book is different from the others in one obvious way, and that difference makes a better tor some purposes. Our statistics book doesn't have any equations in it. We don't know of any other statistics book that can meet that claim, if you want to know how to compute statistics, not having any equations is a serious limitation, and we recommend that you go to your bookstore or library and get someone else's book. We're particularity fond of Glass and Hopkins's treatise on statistics for those working in the fields of education and psychology (1984). It is clear, almost always correct, and contains a wealth of information. But if you just want to know how to understand statistics, as you will find them in research reports, journal articles, and evaluation reports, stick with us. Through diligent study of this book, paying particular attention to our real-lite excerpts from research and evaluation reports, you'll learn a great deal about what statistics. say and what they mean. And you can leave the computing to people who have the time, the need, and the inclination.