ABSTRACT

Bayesian analysis is a large and rapidly growing field of statistics. An oversimplified description is to say that, when estimating some parameter(s), one begins with an expression of prior knowledge or belief about the value of the parameters. This is combined with empirical knowledge about the values of the parameters that is gained by conducting an experiment. The result is a posterior description of the statistical behaviour of the parameters. Many books, including Carlin & Louis (2009), provide a coverage of Bayesian analysis.