Course Overview

This course is designed for graduate students from a biological discipline, who have a basic background in statistical methods and who desire experience with the practical application of those methods to their own data. This course has a lecture, a discussion and a computer lab component. During lecture, students will learn in-depth details about analysis of variance, regression, analysis of covariance, non-parametric methods, study design and scientific inference. In discussion, papers from current natural resources literature are used to stimulate discussion among students on a variety of statistical topics. Topics from past years include the appropriate use of replication, the appropriate use of ‘hedging’ words in scientific writing, Type I and Type II error rates and their effects on reported results, validity of a chosen analysis, effects of stepwise regression. In the computer lab, students will learn to program using SAS and they will carry out the analysis and write up the report for a different dataset each week. At the end of the term, each student will analyze data from their own research as a final project in lieu of a final exam.

Prerequisites for FS 523 are Statistics 511 and Statistics 512 or their equivalent.