Conceptualizing Behaviour in Health and Social Research: A Practical Guide to Data Analysis

The emphasis in this book is not on mathematics of statistics nor is it on technical aspects or statistical assumptions. These are discussed in numerous books and relevant journals. The emphasis in this book is to unpackage statistical thinking. This is done through anticipation and expectation of difficult issues in real life examples and ways of dealing with them as they arise. It is intended to illustrate the application of statistical concepts in order to gain insight into the subject under investigation by appropriate development of the cognitive aspects of research. There are many instances when the appropriate statistical method is applied to the data yet the results may be erroneous leading to misleading conclusions. This is a very serious consequence, particularly in an environment where evidence-based practice has been encouraged. This book attempts to encourage a discussion of the main substantive issues and how they may have an impact on the statistical methodology and the interpretation of results. The authors hope to have provided some motivation to promote the practice and adoption of analytical methods that allow for statistical control.