Using Statistics in the Social and Health Sciences with SPSS (R) and Excel (R)

This book provides a seamless presentation that identifies valuable connections between statistical applications and research design using cases, examples, and discussion of specific topics from the social and health sciences. Class-tested to ensure an accessible presentation, the book combines clear, step-by-step explanations and the use of software packages that are accessible to both the novice and professional alike to present the fundamental statistical practices for organizing, understanding, and drawing conclusions from research data in their field.§§The book begins with an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics and then proceeds to acquaint readers with the various functions for working with quantitative data in the Microsoft Excel environment, such as spreadsheet navigation; sorting and filtering; and creating pivot tables. Subsequent chapters treat the procedures that are commonly-employed when working with data across various fields of social science research, including:§Single-sample tests§Repeated measure tests§Independent t-tests§One way ANOVA and factorial ANOVA§Correlation§Bivariate regression§Chi square§Multiple regression§§Individual chapters are devoted to specific procedures, each ending with a lab exercise that highlights the importance of that procedure by posing a research question, examining the question through its application in Excel and SPSS, and concluding with a brief research report that outlines key findings drawn from the results. Real-world examples and data from social and health sciences research are used throughout the book, and a related website features additional data sets, examples, and labs, allowing readers to reinforce their comprehension of the material.§§Emphasizing applied statistical analyses, this book can serve as the primary text in undergraduate and graduate university courses within departments of sociology, psychology, urban studies, health sciences, public health, and other related departments. It will also be useful to statistics practitioners through extended sections on using Excel and SPSS for analyzing data.