Introduction to Biostatistics

Book excerpt: The Biostatistics course is often found in the schools of public Health, medical schools, and, occasionally, in statistics and biology departments. The population of students in these courses is a diverse one, with varying preparedness. Introduction to Biostatistics assumes the reader has at least two years of high school algebra, but no previous exposure to statistics is required. Written for individuals who might be fearful of mathematics, this book minimizes the technical difficulties and emphasizes the importance of statistics in scientific investigation. An understanding of underlying design and analysis is stressed. The limitations of the research, design and analytical techniques are discussed, allowing the reader to accurately interpret results. Real data, both processed and raw, are used extensively in examples and exercises. Statistical computing packages - MINITAB, SAS and Stata - are integrated. The use of the computer and software allows a sharper focus on the concepts, letting the computer do the necessary number-crunching. - Emphasizes underlying statistical concepts more than competing texts - Focuses on experimental design and analysis, at an elementary level - Includes an introduction to linear correlation and regression - Statistics are central: probability is downplayed - Presents life tables and survival analysis - Appendix with solutions to many exercises - Special instructor's manual with solution to all exercises