Numerical Issues in Statistical Computing for the Social Scientist

At last--a social scientist's guide through the pitfalls ofmodern statistical computing Addressing the current deficiency in the literature onstatistical methods as they apply to the social and behavioralsciences, Numerical Issues in Statistical Computing for the SocialScientist seeks to provide readers with a unique practicalguidebook to the numerical methods underlying computerizedstatistical calculations specific to these fields. The authorsdemonstrate that knowledge of these numerical methods and how theyare used in statistical packages is essential for making accurateinferences. With the aid of key contributors from both the socialand behavioral sciences, the authors have assembled a rich set ofinterrelated chapters designed to guide empirical social scientiststhrough the potential minefield of modern statisticalcomputing. Uniquely accessible and abounding in modern-day tools, tricks,and advice, the text successfully bridges the gap between thecurrent level of social science methodology and the moresophisticated technical coverage usually associated with thestatistical field. Highlights include: * A focus on problems occurring in maximum likelihoodestimation * Integrated examples of statistical computing (using softwarepackages such as the SAS, Gauss, Splus, R, Stata, LIMDEP, SPSS,WinBUGS, and MATLAB¯®) * A guide to choosing accurate statistical packages * Discussions of a multitude of computationally intensivestatistical approaches such as ecological inference, Markov chainMonte Carlo, and spatial regression analysis * Emphasis on specific numerical problems, statisticalprocedures, and their applications in the field * Replications and re-analysis of published social scienceresearch, using innovative numerical methods * Key numerical estimation issues along with the means ofavoiding common pitfalls * A related Web site includes test data for use in demonstratingnumerical problems, code for applying the original methodsdescribed in the book, and an online bibliography of Web resourcesfor the statistical computation Designed as an independent research tool, a professionalreference, or a classroom supplement, the book presents awell-thought-out treatment of a complex and multifaceted field.