Statistical Methods I

Catalog description

This course is the first half of a two-semester sequence focused on modern data analysis, advanced statistical modeling, and programming in R and R Markdown. The course emphasizes placing biological, medical and health research questions into a statistical context, and thinking effectively about practical questions of design and analysis, while minimizing theory. In the first semester, we use tools from the tidyverse and literate programming to produce replicable research on public data. Course projects focus on using modern tools to ingest, tidy, manage, explore (transform, visualize and model) and communicate about data. Foundations of the first semester include exploratory data analysis, estimation strategies for means and proportions, and linear models for prediction and exploration of quantitative outcomes. The course attracts people with varied backgrounds in statistics/data science or coding/programming or biomedical science, and a common interest in using data effectively in scientific research. Instructor permission is required for enrollment. Offered as CRSP 431 , MPHP 431 , and PQHS 431 .