Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics
In fields as varying as education, politics and health care, assessment and the use of measurement and statistics have become an integral part of almost every activity undertaken. These activities require the organization of ideas, the generation of hypotheses, the collection of data and the interpretation, illustration and analysis of data.
No matter where we look, this critical analysis is more important than ever in an age where information - and lots of it - is readily available. The average consumer must know what a `median' is or what the connotations of the term `significant' are when intelligently reading The Times, Science News or a tabloid. Likewise, students, practitioners and researchers must grapple with sophisticated terms and techniques when conducting research, writing proposals and analyzing data. The terms themselves have proven to be anxiety-provoking.
The Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics, in two-volumes, presents state-of-the-art information and ready-to-use facts from the fields of measurement and statistics in a non-intimidating and accessible style. The Encyclopedia is specifically written to appeal to undergraduate students as well as practitioners, researchers and consumers of information.
Whilst there are reference works covering statistics and assessment in depth, none provide as comprehensive a resource in as focused and approachable a manner as this encyclopedia.
Key themes include:
- biographies;
- charts, graphs and visual displays;
- computer topics and tools;
- concepts and issues in measurement;
- concepts and issues in statistics;
- data and data reduction techniques;
- descriptive statistics;
- evaluation;
- experimental methods;
- inferential statistics;
- organizations and publications;
- predictions and estimations;
- probability;
- qualitative methods;
- samples, sampling and distribution;
- statistical techniques;
- statistical tests;
- tests by name.
Key features include:
- coverage of every major facet of these two different, but highly integrated disciplines with reference to mean, mode and median; reliability, validity, significance and correlation without overwhelming the informed reader;
- cross-disciplinary coverage, with contributions from and applications to the fields of: psychology; education; sociology; human development; political science; business and management; and public health;
- cross-referenced terms, a list of further readings and Website URLs after each entry, as well as an extensive set of appendices and an annotated list of organizations relevant to measurement and statistics.
Appendices:
- Appendix A is a guide to basic statistics for those readers who require an instructional step-by-step presentation of basic concepts in statistics and measurement;
- Appendix B is a table of critical values used in hypothesis testing and an important part of any reference in this area;
- Appendix C represents a collection of some most important and useful measurement and statistics Websites.
"The Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics presents state-of-the-art information and ready-to-use-facts from the fields of measurement and statistics in an un-intimidating style. The ideas and tools contained in theses pages are approachable and can be invaluable for understanding our very technical world and the increasing flow of information. Although there are references that cover statistics and assessment in depth, none provides as comprehensive a resource in as focused and accessible a manner as the two volumes of this encyclopedia. Through approximately 500 contributions, experts provide an overview and an explanation of the major topics in these two areas."
"Since all students grapple daily with research that has components of statistics and/or measurements, they will find this tool to be a solid choice. In 1,100 pages, the encyclopedia succinctly defines more than 600 concepts. The index is easy to use and has appropriate cross-referencing. The style is good technical writing, understandable to generalists or undergraduates. This is a strong candidate for all reference collections serving the general public and undergraduates. Highly recommended."
