Sadistics.... sorry I mean statistics

[stonecirclegirl]

Anyone have any recommendations for a truly useful book on this lovely subject? Or any good websites? I am coming up to first year exams and really need to get my head round it.

In a job situation how much do you actually use statistics? Reason I ask is that I am utterly pants at anything involving equations etc and go all glazed-eyed and dribbly when I try to think about it.

Help! <small pathetic voice> (and this is only year one!)

[:I]

[leg11aug]

"Digging Numbers" got me through it (just) no doubt Jeff already shouted that at you! I don't know how useful it is in Real Life, as it were, really depends what area you want to go into I think. If you want to work in artefact processing I thing a grounding in stats is gonna be useful. Of course you can take my approach which is to get someone clever to do the number-crunching for you, and just use the results... [:I]

"Never put off 'till tomorrow that which you can put off 'till the day after tomorrow.."

[Cautionary Tale]

Ahh, the memories. His shouting still reverberates after nearly 10 years :face-approve:

I have had cause to use chi squared on several occasions to prove (and disprove) significance when writing a site report. It comes and something of a relief to avoid peppering a sentence with if, buts and maybes when (ab)using statistics ;) - trouble comes with making sure your inputs aren't too flaky.

As to good books, I would chase after A-level revision guides for maths with stats (Slaters guides were good in my day - he says in croaky voice - may still even have my copy banging around the place).

Just be glad you don't have to learn applied maths. Tried applying that to harbour structures for my dissertation. Turgid, oh yes [xx(].

Of the Clan Sutton

[stonecirclegirl]

Hmmm interesting thanks:D

I have 'Digging Numbers' which is proving quite useful. I've also had a quick look online for other titles but they are quite expensive. I think another trip to library and forcing myself to work through more example probs is in order. Never know... I might get my head round it eventually.

Barnesy...Nice to see you still have 'fond' memories of Jeff - mind you when you leave every one of his lectures with a headache how could you forget him!;)

[drpeterwardle]

I think stats in the broadest sense is a useful skill for an archaeologist in particular things such as the theory of errors. It has a bearing on the interpretation of all scientific measurement suhc as geophysics or surveying (and hence recording).

Artefacts have already been mentioned. It will also be useful in the enviironmental sciences.

In field archaeology the use of stats is limited but it does or should underpin things such as sampling strategies.

I think it is one of those things whose use might not be immediate but may come in very useful later on in your career.

Peter
Peter Wardle

[Real Job]

'Statistics without tears: a primer for non-mathemeticians' by Derek Rowntree (Penguin, 1981) seems to be a good book although its not archaeology based. It was my course textbook at uni, and unlike most text books (Renfrew and Barnes anyone?) is actually useful!

[Matthew Ginnever]

quote:Originally posted by Real Job

'Statistics without tears: a primer for non-mathemeticians' by Derek Rowntree (Penguin, 1981) seems to be a good book although its not archaeology based. It was my course textbook at uni, and unlike most text books (Renfrew and Barnes anyone?) is actually useful!



I don't know, Renfrew and Bahn got me through my first year, so it must have had some uses. Never used it since however. One lad on the course swares by it. Not actualy sure that he has ever read any other books though

[srd123]

quote:Originally posted by Real Job

'Statistics without tears: a primer for non-mathemeticians' by Derek Rowntree (Penguin, 1981) seems to be a good book although its not archaeology based. It was my course textbook at uni, and unlike most text books (Renfrew and Barnes anyone?) is actually useful!


That's the book I used (A-levels were so very long ago) as a reminder when I built my GIS suite last year. I found that the examples, although not archaeology based, were a lot more relevant to what I was doing (landscape analysis) than those in "Digging Numbers".

Of course, once you've got the basic terms it's easy enough to tip them into google and expand your knowledge for free.

[1man1desk]

As someone doing a Masters part-time while working (over 20 years after my first degree), I have recently been getting to grips with statistics for the first time. I have found that you can find an awful lot of good sites through Google searches, especially if you know what test you might be interested in. The best site to start with is possibly the following:

http://www.helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/statistics/tress1.htm

I also used an ancient (1984) textbook provided by my wife, as follows:
Zar, J.E. (1984) Biostatistical Analysis, second edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

My tutor called it 'a bit dated', just because of the date of publication, but the tests themselves have not changed to the best of my knowledge, and my wife (a post-doctoral research fellow) uses it all the time.


1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[stonecirclegirl]

Thanks all for the advice :D

I worked through a couple of the sample probs yesterday with a little help from Digging Numbers. I still need a lot more practice but I think it might be starting to get through!

My brain has a minor shutdown every time I even think about equations - I have to force myself to get on with it. Trouble is I guess I can't really tell myself out loud in the middle of an exam! Hehehe

Thankyou!:)

[littleyellowidol]

'Statistics for the Terrified' helped me, along with the others mentioned. I feel your pain, SCG - two friends and I ended up sitting in a huddle in a library the day before the 2nd Year Stats exam at Sheffield and panicking constructively. Understood none of it, but got a First, so take that as inspiration!

"Kick a megalith and it hurts."

[historic building]

Is this the Canadian Jeff who teaches statistics by batting you around the head until you have understood? Those were the days trying to work out how to use minitab on a bunch of graveyard statistics on computers with black and green screens.

[Sparky]

Try Quantifying Archaeology by Stephen Shennan.
Got me through my Masters and I still use it now. Very easy to read and provides little excercises at the end of each chapter. Answers at the back.

[leg11aug]

quote:Originally posted by historic building

Is this the Canadian Jeff who teaches statistics by batting you around the head until you have understood?
That's the fella...:D

"Never put off 'till tomorrow that which you can put off 'till the day after tomorrow.."

[stonecirclegirl]

Got a good book today - wasn't really even looking for one. It's a 'Teach Yourself' guide and seems quite good. I'll keep battling on....:)

[stonecirclegirl]

quote:Originally posted by historic building

Is this the Canadian Jeff who teaches statistics by batting you around the head until you have understood?

Oh yes....B)

[historic building]

I was so bad at stats I think he changed the shape of my head

[the invisible man]

I wonder what proportion of students are bad at statistics.........

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[Cautionary Tale]

At least 5/4 of the student group. [xx(]

Of the Clan Sutton

[deepdigger]

Anything by Orton should do it!!

deep

[troll]

Ask the IFA-apparently, statistics show that we all earn circa 20k a year.They have publically admitted to giving one unit a slap for a less- than -honest membership application.... Statistically speaking, what real (quantifiable) impact have the IFA had on the industry in all the years of their existence? One standard deviation will suffice.........:D;)

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[stonecirclegirl]

Well I did the stats test... week before last in fact. It was horrible. :face-confused:

It's taken me this long to bring myself to talk about it....;) I just hope I scraped a pass...

Next exam tomorrow... wish me luck :)

[littleyellowidol]

Good luck! :D

"Kick a megalith and it hurts."

[Tim]

Recommend "Counting the Dead" by Tony Waldron. Lots of stat techniques that are usable for none human remains stuff as well.

Little Tim

"Freedom of thought is one thing, freedom of the purse is quite another". Edward Harris