The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis

Jane E. Miller

A study guide of exercises is available online.

Jane E. Miller

Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Cloth $75.00 ISBN: 9780226527826 Published August 2005

Paper $32.50 ISBN: 9780226527833 Published August 2005

E-book $7.00 to $30.00 About E-books ISBN: 9780226527840 Published April 2008

Writing about multivariate analysis is a surprisingly common task. Researchers use these advanced statistical techniques to examine relationships among multiple variables, such as exercise, diet, and heart disease, or to forecast information such as future interest rates or unemployment. Many different people, from social scientists to government agencies to business professionals, depend on the results of multivariate models to inform their decisions. At the same time, many researchers have trouble communicating the purpose and findings of these models. Too often, explanations become bogged down in statistical jargon and technical details, and audiences are left struggling to make sense of both the numbers and their interpretation.

Here, Jane Miller offers much-needed help to academic researchers as well as to analysts who write for general audiences. The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis brings together advanced statistical methods with good expository writing. Starting with twelve core principles for writing about numbers, Miller goes on to discuss how to use tables, charts, examples, and analogies to write a clear, compelling argument using multivariate results as evidence.

Writers will repeatedly look to this book for guidance on how to express their ideas in scientific papers, grant proposals, speeches, issue briefs, chartbooks, posters, and other documents. Communicating with multivariate models need never appear so complicated again.

Review Quotes
Contents

“This is a terrific book that almost everyone writing or talking about multivariate analysis, from undergraduate student to veteran scholar, would find useful.”—James Trussell, Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, and Director, Office of Population Research, Princeton University

“The Chicago Guide to Writing About Multivariate Analysis provides practical guidance to anyone who has to organize and present basic and complex statistical analyses. From presentations to manuscripts, from scientific to lay audiences, from simple concepts to complex ones, this book covers the waterfront of issues with an easy-to-grasp style. The book is loaded with practical examples, often illustrated with poor, better, and best ways to communicate. . . . The value of multivariate analyses lies in a clear understanding of the data, the information gleaned, the meaning, and the implications for research and action. This book should enhance that value for scientists in many disciplines and at all levels and give them greater confidence in the effectiveness of their communication.”—Steven Teutsch, MPH Executive Director, Outcomes Research and Management, Merck & Co., Inc.; Member, U.S. Preventative Services Task Force; and Fellow, Center for Disease Control and Prevention

“Aimed at people with a concrete grounding in multivariate analysis and other advanced statistical methods, this handbook outlines basic narrative and graphic communication principles and practices for using numeric facts as evidence in a research inquiry. Focusing on both publications and oral presentations, it covers audiences, research questions, summarizing, reviews, and answering ‘so what’ questions—as well as connecting all the dots in between. To assist readers in understanding the ideas, Miller practices what she preaches, keeping text succinct, vocabulary accessible, and examples and analogies easy to relate to. The tome is chock full of ‘Zen moments’.”—Choice

"The extent of the research and thought that went into this work is clear in the wealth of information presented and the extensive reference citations. Although the information presented may seem basic to highly experienced and specialized scientific writers and editors, they might find it helpful to have it all covered in a single, compact text. Generalist writers and editors will probably find it useful in ensuring that their work includes relevant, well-presented information."

“Jane Miller begins by offering her readers a map to help them navigate their way through the maze of multivariate analysis. . . . It will be a useful reference text to all involved with presenting data.”—Wadia Hanna, Public Health

“Miller discusses how tables, charts, examples, and analogies can be used to bring together advanced statistical methods with good expository writing.”—Social Service Review

Contents

List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Boxes
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
Part I. Principles
2. Seven Basic Principles
3. Causality, Statistical Significance, and Substantive Significance
4. Five More Technical Principles
Part II. Tools
5. Creating Effective Tables
6. Creating Effective Charts
7. Choosing Effective Examples and Analogies
8. Basic Types of Quantitative Comparisons
9. Quantitative Comparisons for Multivariate Models
10. Choosing How to Present Statistical Test Results
Part III. Pulling It All Together
11. Writing Introductions, Conclusions, and Abstracts
12. Writing about Data and Methods
13. Writing about Distributions and Associations
14. Writing about Multivariate Models
15. Speaking about Multivariate Analyses
16. Writing for Applied Audiences
Appendix A. Implementing "Generalization, Example, Exceptions" (GEE)
Appendix B. Translating Statistical Output into Table and Text
Appendix C. Terminology for Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Logistic Models
Appendix D. Using a Spreadsheet for Calculations
Notes
Reference List
Index

For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu

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