Statistics for Economics, Accounting and Business Studies

Michael Barrow is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Sussex. He has acted as a consultant for major, industrial, commercial and government bodies

Preface to the fourth edition Introduction

Descriptive statistics

Learning outcomes
Introduction
Summarising data using graphical techniques
Looking at cross-section data: wealth in the UK in 2005
Summarising data using numerical techniques
The box and whiskers diagram
Time-series data: investment expenditures 1977–2009
Graphing bivariate data: the scatter diagram
Data transformations
The information and data explosion
Writing statistical reports
Guidance to the student: how to measure your progress
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises
Appendix 1A: S notation
Problems on S notation
Appendix 1B: E and V operators
Appendix 1C: Using logarithms
Problems on logarithms
References


Probability

Learning outcomes
Probability theory and statistical inference
The definition of probability
Probability theory: the building blocks
Bayes’ theorem
Decision analysis
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises


Probability distributions

Learning outcomes
Introduction
Random variables
The Binomial distribution
The Normal distribution
The distribution of the sample mean
The relationship between the Binomial and Normal distributions
The Poisson distribution
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises


Estimation and confidence intervals

Learning outcomes
Introduction
Point and interval estimation
Rules and criteria for finding estimates
Estimation with large samples
Precisely what is a confidence interval?
Estimation with small samples: the t distribution
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises
Appendix: Derivations of sampling distributions


Hypothesis testing

Learning outcomes
Introduction
The concepts of hypothesis testing
The Prob-value approach
Significance, effect size and power
Further hypothesis tests
Hypothesis tests with small samples
Are the test procedures valid?
Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals
Independent and dependent samples
Issues with hypothesis testing
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises


The c2 and F distributions

Learning outcomes
Introduction
The c2 distribution
The F distribution
Analysis of variance
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises
Appendix: Use of c2 and F distribution tables


Correlation and regression

Learning outcomes
Introduction
What determines the birth rate in developing countries?
Correlation
Regression analysis
Inference in the regression model
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises
References


Multiple regression

Learning outcomes
Introduction
Principles of multiple regression
What determines imports into the UK?
Finding the right model
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises
References


Data collection and sampling methods

Learning outcomes
Introduction
Using secondary data sources
Collecting primary data
Random sampling
Calculating the required sample size
Collecting the sample
Case study: the UK Living Costs and Food Survey
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
References


Index numbers

Learning outcomes
Introduction
A simple index number
A price index with more than one commodity
Using expenditures as weights
Quantity and expenditure indices
The Consumer Price Index
Discounting and present values
Inequality indices
The Lorenz curve
The Gini coefficient
Concentration ratios
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises
Appendix: deriving the expenditure share form of the
Laspeyres price index
References


Seasonal adjustment of time series data

Learning outcomes
Introduction
The components of a time series
Isolating the trend
Isolating seasonal factors
Seasonal adjustment
An alternative method for finding the trend
Forecasting
Further issues
Chapter summary
Key terms and concepts
Problems
Answers to Exercises



List of important formulae Appendix: Tables Answers to problems Index