STA 660 - Practicum in Data Analysis
Fall 2001
Course (Section)
STA 660 (A)
Meeting Time:
900-950 MWF (plus other make-up times to be
arranged in consultation with students)
Meeting Location
120 Bachelor Hall (maybe 122C BAC)
Prerequisites:
STA 666
Grading:
Pass/Fail
Professor
Dr. John Bailer
E-mail:
ajbailer@muohio.edu
URL:
http://www.muohio.edu/~ajbailer
Office (phone):
292 Bachelor Hall (529-3538)
369C Upham Hall (529-2648)
FAX: 529-1493
Office Hours:
10:00 - 11:00 MWF
(other hours by appointment — don’t be shy!)
Purpose of Course:
The university catalog describes STA 660 as “Supervised practice in consulting and statistical
data analysis including use of computer programs.” As part of this “supervised practice,” we
explore strategies for tackling research questions based upon available data, and written/oral
presentations of analyses.
Course Objectives:
Chatfield (1995, p. 1) suggests that a statistician needs to be able to
1.
formulate a real problem in statistical terms
2.
give advice on efficient data collection
3.
analyze data and extract maximum amount of information
4.
interpret and report the results
STA 660 gives you experience with these 4 objectives plus the tools used to accomplish these
objectives. Included in these tools are statistical computing software (e.g. SAS, S-Plus),
software for graphical displays (e.g. S-Plus), word processing and presentation software.
Text:Chatfield, C. (1998) Problem Solving: A Statistician's Guide. Chapman & Hall/CRC Press.
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Other resources:
ASA:
www.amstat.org
ASA Section on
Statistical Consulting:
http://www.amstat.org/sections/cnsl/
Miller
Wiley
Beyond ANOVA, Basics of Applied Statistics
Madansky
Springer-Verlag
Prescriptions for Working Statisticians
Fox and Long
SAGE
Modern Methods of Data Analysis
Venables and Ripley
Springer
Modern applied statistics with S-PLUS
Derr
Duxbury
Statistical Consulting: A Guide to Effective
Communication
General student activities:
Analyze a series of projects and reporting the results. Most of these projects will involve the
analysis of a particular data set. Some of the projects might involve literature reviews and
reports. Most of these projects will be done by each student. A number of group projects are
being tentatively planned. Finally, I am trying to arrange a semester-long project that the entire
class will address.
General Flow of course (each week):
Monday:
Initial examination of data reported and discussed (IDA)
Wednesday:
Questions + New project(s) assigned + New stat. method/computing issue
Friday:
Final analysis of data assigned
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Tentative course outline (modifications always possible)
Week
1
Day Comments
8/24 First day of classes –
Intro
8/24
2
Reading and topic
Comments/projects
Dr. Schaefer will pinch hit –
give course overview and
assign first two lab data sets
Statistical
Mike Hughes will pinch hit –
Investigations,
data entry, creating SAS data
problem formulation, sets, creating S-Plus dataframes
data collection
(pp. 1-22)
8/27 No class – make-up to General analysis
be scheduled
strategy (pp. 23-36)
8/29 No class – make-up to Initial examination of
be scheduled
data (IDA) (pp. 3774); Computer and
library resources (pp.
93-104)
8/31 No class – make-up to Definitive analysis
be scheduled
(pp. 75-92); Effective
consulting and
communication (pp.
105-122)
3
9/3 LABOR DAY, no
classes
**************
9/4 M/T exchange day
9/5
Project 0, 1 and 2 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
9/7
4
Project 0, 1 and 2 Final
presentations
9/10
9/12
Project 3 handed out
Project 3 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
3
Project 4 handed out
5
9/14
FINAL report—Project 3
9/17
Project 4 IDA
9/19
6
FINAL report—Project 4
9/24
Project 5 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
Project 6 handed out
9/28
FINAL report—Project 5
10/1
Project 6 IDA
10/3
8
Project 5 handed out
9/21
9/26
7
Stat/computing
methods
Stat/computing
methods
Project 7 handed out
10/5
FINAL report—Project 6
10/8
Project 7 IDA and Project 8
handed out
10/10 No class - make-up to
be scheduled
10/12 No class - make-up to
be scheduled
9
10/15
10/17
10
FINAL report -- Project 7 and
Project 8 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
Project 9 handed out
10/19 Fall Break – no class
FINAL report—Project 8
10/22
Project 9 IDA
10/24
Stat/computing
methods
10/26
Project 10 handed out
FINAL report—Project 9
4
11
10/29
10/31
12
Project 10 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
11/2
FINAL report—Project 10
11/5
Project 11 IDA
11/7
Stat/computing
methods
11/9
13
Project 12 handed out
FINAL report—Project 11
11/12
11/14
14
Project 11 handed out
Project 12 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
Project 13 handed out
11/16
FINAL report—Project 12
11/19
Project 13 IDA and Project 14
handed out
11/21 No class –
Thanksgiving holiday
11/23 No class –
Thanksgiving holiday
15
11/26
11/28
Project 14 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
11/30
16
FINAL report -- Project 14
12/3
12/5
FINAL report – Project 13; and
Project 15 handed out
Project 15 IDA
Stat/computing
methods
12/7
FINAL report -- Project 15
FINAL GROUP
PRESENTATION?
Question: Can you can meet on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 9 for make-ups?
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