Book Description

This book serves as an introduction to quantitative analysis in Exercise and Sport Science, but it also aims to give readers hands-on experience if they choose to follow along with the included exercises. It includes background information and technique descriptions, step by step instructions on using statistical techniques and interpretation, and reproducible examples with included datasets.

Prerequisite Information

While this book will serve as an introduction to many of these techniques, it will also take a more applied and hands-on learning approach. This means that you will be expected to follow along and work through the examples along with the book. This may be a more in-depth and active approach to learning than you are used to and may seem more demanding or advanced as a result. Please be prepared to be an active learner. The benefit of this style is that you will also gain actual experience with statistical issues, analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

$$Free$$

This book is offered completely free of charge. That probably sounds great to students using it as a required text for a course, and it is. That being said, you won’t see many pictures that are not ones I have personally taken and own the rights to or are completely free stock photos (such as the one seen above from pexels.com). There are many “royalty free” image sources out there, but many of these images must still be purchased initially. As a result, this book will make some aesthetic sacrifices to remain free to readers.

Similarly, whenever possible, references and links to free and/or open access references will be provided along with or in lieu of those that require payment. This may include sources such as Wikipedia that are not generally recommended for scientific writing. Since this is written as an introduction to many statistical concepts and ideas, this should not be an issue. However, if you are reading this and would like to include something learned here in the statistical methodology of one of your papers, I encourage you to find the original reference often linked within the articles. If you have any trouble with this, feel free to contact me (chris.bailey2@unt.edu).

Please pay attention to footnotes and in-text referencing. Here you will find hyperlinks to references as well as some expanded upon information that may not always easily fit within the designated topic, but is worth knowing.

If you enjoy this book and have the means to contribute, please consider a donation to one of your favorite charities instead.^[1]