First Course In Business Statistics, A (8th Edition)

Book Preface

This eighth edition of A First Course in Business Statistics is an introductory business text emphasizing inference, with extensive coverage of data collection and analysis as needed to evaluate the reported results of statistical studies and to make good decisions. As in earlier editions, the text stresses the development of statistical thinking, the assessment of credibility and value of the inferences made from data, both by those who consume and those who produce them. It assumes a mathematical background of basic algebra.

A more comprehensive version of the book, Statistics for Business and Economics (8/e), is available for two-term courses or those that include more extensive coverage of special topics.

NEW IN THE EIGHTH EDITION

Major Content Changes

Chapter 2 includes two new optional sections: methods for detecting outliers (Section 2.8) and graphing bivariate relationships (Section 2.9).

Chapter 4 now covers descriptive methods for assessing whether a data set is approximately normally distributed (Section 4.8) and normal approximation to the binomial distribution (Section 4.9).

Exploring Data with Statistical Computer Software and the Graphing Calculator- Throughout the text, computer printouts from five popular Windows-based statistical software packages (SAS, SPSS, MINITAB, STATISTIX and EXCEL) are displayed and used to make decisions about the data. New to this edition, we have included instruction boxes and output for the TI-83 graphing calculator.

Statistics in Action-One feature per chapter examines current real-life, highprofile issues. Data from the study is presented for analysis. Questions prompt the students to form their own conclusions and to think through the statistical issues involved.

Real-World Business Cases-Six extensive business problem-solving cases, with real data and assignments. Each case serves as a good capstone and review of the material that has preceded it.

Real-Data Exercises-Almost all the exercises in the text employ the use of current real data taken from a wide variety of publications (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and journals).

Quick Review-Each chapter ends with a list of key terms and formulas, with reference to the page number where they first appear.

Language Lab-Following the Quick Review is a pronunciation guide for Greek letters and other special terms. Usage notes are also provided.