Social statistics

This text is written primarily for those students of sociology, both advanced undergraduates and graduate students, who actually intend to engage in social research. Since the vast majority of students in the social sciences lack a background in college mathematics, this text has been written so as to avoid mathematical derivations in so far as possible. A quick review of certain algebraic principles listed in Appendix 1 should therefore be sufficient preparation for the average student. But al though it is not necessary in a first course in statistics to stress mathematical derivations, the author is convinced that certain basic and fundamental ideas underlying the principles of statistical inference must be thoroughly understood if one to obtain more than a mere "cookbook" knowledge of statistics. For this s reason, you will find a relatively heavy emphasis on the underlying logic of statistical inference, including a chapter on probability, with relatively less attention being given to some of the more or less routine topics ordinarily discussed in elementary texts.