Contrary to its popular perception, statistics involves much more than numerical computations. In this book you will be asked to concentrate on understanding statistical concepts and on interpreting and communicating the results of statistical analyses. In other words, you will be expected to learn to construct and analyze numerical arguments, using data to support your statements. In order to allow you to better focus on this understanding and communication, you will use the computer program Minitab to alleviate computational drudgery. Minitab will also present the ideas in a visual, interactive environment, allowing you to more easily understand the concepts and their properties.
Statistics involves the analysis of genuine data.
Supporting our contention that statistics is applicable in everyday life and in most fields of academic endeavor, you will analyze genuine data from a wide variety of applications throughout the course. We hope that by spanning a wide variety of subject matter, the contexts will be of interest to a general audience. Understanding results from investigation and discovery. The structure of this text asks you to spend most of your time actively engaged with the material as opposed to passively taking notes. The activities have been carefully designed and tested to lead you to discover fundamental statistical ideas for yourself, in collaboration with your peers, your instructor, and the computer.