Statistical Methods for Communication Science is the only statistical methods volume currently available that focuses exclusively on statistics in communication research. Writing in a straightforward, personal style, author Andrew F. Hayes offers this accessible and thorough introduction to statistical methods, starting with the fundamentals of measurement and moving on to discuss such key topics as sampling procedures, probability, reliability, hypothesis testing, simple correlation and regression, and analyses of variance and covariance. Hayes takes readers through each topic with clear explanations and illustrations. He provides a multitude of examples, all set in the context of communication research, thus engaging readers directly and helping them to see the relevance and importance of statistics to the field of communication.
Highlights of this text include:
*thorough and balanced coverage of topics;
*integration of classical methods with modern "resampling" approaches to inference;
*consideration of practical, "real world" issues;
*numerous examples and applications, all drawn from communication research;
*up-to-date information, with examples justifying use of various techniques; and
*downloadable resources with macros, data sets, figures, and additional materials.
This unique book can be used as a stand-alone classroom text, a supplement to traditional research methods texts, or a useful reference manual. It will be invaluable to students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners in communication, and it will serve to advance the understanding and use of statistical methods throughout the discipline.
Biography
Andrew F. Hayes (Author)
"...this book will be of interest to readers interested in informed, opinionated work dealing with alternative, presently unconventional procedures to analyze data. It raises some interesting and thorny issues about 'better' ways to analyze data and provides direction for learning more about bootstrapping and resampling alternative data analysis procedures."
—PsycCRITIQUES"This text is written in a clear, straightforward manner. It presents a wide range of important statistical topics in a no-nonsense, easy-to-follow format....contains a substantial amount of useful information....the book is an excellent reference text and would serve any applied researcher very well."
—The American Statistician"The writing is superb--it takes on a conversational tone while not 'dumbing down' the material whatsoever. It was refreshing to read--I felt as though I was talking with the author and he was leading me through the concepts. While the book does a wonderful job of presenting conceptual underpinnings of statistical analyses, it simultaneously addresses the 'down and dirty' types of questions that researchers encounter all the time. I realize that my review is almost nothing but praise, but I honestly believe that this is a first-rate book."
—Mary Beth Oliver
Penn State University"I believe this textbook has the potential to greatly advance how communication scholars use statistics....Stats can be extremely intimidating and Dr. Hayes has done a remarkable job of decreasing the scariness of stats...I believe that this volume will greatly benefit communication scholars and the discipline."
—David Roskos-Ewoldsen
University of Alabama
