ABSTRACT

Trying to read up on statistics can be like trying to decide where you want to start eating the elephant and what’s the most digestible way to get it down. This book is written to give bite-size nuggets of insight based on our experiences grappling with datasets large and small. It is intended to bridge the gap between the formal equations and the practicalities of generating a research manuscript. We won’t pretend reading it will answer all your questions but it will help explain what questions need to be asked for your study and how you can address them with both accuracy and clarity. The size, detail and (ostensible) organization of this book allow for easy reading and can give a leg (or at least a half-step) up for those seeking more detailed study later.

Features include:

  • Excel sheets to allow exploration of topics raised
  • Emphasis on intuitive explanations over formulas.
  • Consideration of issues specific to clinical and surgical studies

Our audience is someone who may or may not have enjoyed formal statistics education (that is, you may have had it and not enjoyed it!) who may like seeing a more dressed-down presentation of the topics. Actual statisticians may pick this up at risk of a chuckle (with us or at us) and may find some useful ways to present topics to non-statisticians.

 

 

 

 

chapter Chapter 1|10 pages

Introduction – Why Does a Surgeon Need Statistics?

chapter Chapter 4|10 pages

The Basics of Statistical Tests

chapter Chapter 5|8 pages

How Much Data Is Enough?

chapter Chapter 8|4 pages

All Probabilities Are Conditional

chapter Chapter 9|8 pages

Quality versus Quantity in Data

chapter Chapter 10|6 pages

Practical Examples

chapter Chapter 12|4 pages

Binary and Count Outcomes

chapter Chapter 13|6 pages

Repeated Measurements and Accounting for Change

chapter Chapter 14|4 pages

What If the Data Is Not All There?

chapter Chapter 15|10 pages

Showing the Data to Others – Graphs and Tables, Part 2

chapter Chapter 16|4 pages

Further Reading