Viral incidence estimation —a shortcut

Often the incidence of a specific virus is estimated from collected data and a process of pooling these data provides an efficient and easily applied shortcut.

Survey data—randomized response

A survey method that absolutely guarantees confidentiality is called a randomization survey technique. The application of this clever statistical tool is easily understood and implemented. The process yields interview responses that allow analysis, to repeat, with absolute confidentiality.

Rates—definition and estimation

Human disease and mortality rates are important statistical measures. The analysis and inferences based on calculated rates are defined and their estimation is described.

Probabilities and puzzles

A series of puzzles are often described in terms of statistical issues and methods. Some examples are presented.

Coincidence—a statistical description

The focus is on two classic descriptions of birthdays occurring on the same day. That is, the probability that two people selected at random from 23 have the same birthday and a specific probability a person’s birthday matches a specific day.

Odds—a sometimes measure of likelihood

Odds are a frequently used and popular metric in the medical and epidemiologic literature and are often generated by logistic regression analysis.

Mean value—estimation and a few properties

The mean value is perhaps the most fundamental statistic and the chapter describes its properties and features that make it an important and necessary analytic tool.

A contribution to statistics

A poem entirely devoted to the description of statistics by a Nobel prize winning poet.

A binary variable—twin pairs

Binary data is often an important type of data. The description of twin pairs presents an extensive example. Also introduced are the statistical consequences of random pairs illustrated by the analysis of the occurrence of twins with birth defects.

Data—too good to be true?

A simple and extensive table that contains an error, reducing the analysis to nonsense.