Book Description

The fourth edition of An Introduction to Statistical Problem Solving in Geography continues its standing as the definitive introduction to statistics and quantitative analysis in geography. Assuming no reader background in statistics, the authors lay out the proper role of statistical analysis and methods in human and physical geography. They delve into the calculation of descriptive summaries and graphics to explain geographic patterns and use inferential statistics (parametric and nonparametric) to test for differences (t-tests, ANOVA), relationships (regression and correlation), and spatial statistics (point and area patterns, spatial autocorrelation). This edition introduces more advanced topics, including logistic regression, two-factor ANOVA, and spatial estimation (inverse distance weighting, Kriging). Many chapters also include thought-provoking discussions of statistical concepts as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. Maintaining an exploratory and investigative approach throughout, the authors provide readers with real-world geographic issues and more than 50 map examples. Concepts are explained clearly and narratively without oversimplification. Each chapter concludes with a list of major goals and objectives. An epilogue offers over 150 open-ended geographic situations, inviting students to apply their new statistical skills to solve problems currently affecting our world.