A Statistical Primer: Understanding Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

Authors

  • Gillian Byrne Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18438/B8FW2H

Abstract

As libraries and librarians move more towards evidence-based decision making, the data being generated in libraries is growing. Understanding the basics of statistical analysis is crucial for evidence-based practice (EBP), in order to correctly design and analyze research as well as to evaluate the research of others. This article covers the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics, from hypothesis construction to sampling to common statistical techniques including chi-square, correlation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

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Author Biography

Gillian Byrne, Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Gillian Byrne holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Master’s of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University. She has worked in the Information Services division of the Queen Elizabeth II Library since 2002, prior to that she worked as a public services librarian at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. Gillian currently holds responsibilities for the Library website and Data Services. She has taken several quantitative methodology courses and has analyzed the data resulting from numerous research projects.

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Published

2007-03-14

How to Cite

Byrne, G. (2007). A Statistical Primer: Understanding Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 2(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.18438/B8FW2H

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2007)

Section

Features

License

The Creative Commons-Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License 4.0 International applies to all works published by Evidence Based Library and Information Practice. Authors will retain copyright of the work.