Research Guides: Social Science Data Sources & Statistical Methods: Stats Textbooks

Statistics Textbooks - Electronic Books

This list includes open access textbooks that are free to everyone and library ebooks which are free for EMU students.

Statistical Analysis Quick Reference Guidebook by Wayne A. Woodward; Alan C. Elliott
Publication Date: 2006
Statistical Analysis Quick Reference Guidebook: With SPSS Examples is a practical "cut to the chase" handbook that quickly explains the when, where, and how of statistical data analysis as it is used for real-world decision-making in a wide variety of disciplines.
Introductory Statistics by Barbara Illowsky; Susan Dean
Publication Date: 2013-10-31
Introductory Statistics follows the scope and sequence of a one-semester, introduction to statistics course and is geared toward students majoring in fields other than math or engineering.

Free to read online or download as a PDF.
(You can also make an optional donation to this free texts projects.)
Collaborative Statistics by Barbara Illowsky and Susan Dean
"This textbook is intended for introductory statistics courses being taken by students at two– and four–year colleges who are majoring in fields other than math or engineering. Intermediate algebra is the only prerequisite. The book focuses on applications of statistical knowledge rather than the theory behind it."
Concepts and Applications of Inferential Statistics by Richard Lowry, Vassar College
This "free, full-length, and occasionally interactive statistics textbook" includes chapters on principles of measurement, distributions, correlation & regression, and statistical significance.
Open access textbook
Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics - RVLS
by David Lane, Rice University
Includes a hyperlinked online statistics text, simulations/demonstrations, case studies, links to other online statistics texts, etc.
Open access textbook
A First Course in Bayesian Statistical Methods
Includes one-parameter models, Monte Carlo approximation, normal model, posterior approximation with the Gibbs sampler, multivariate normal model, group comparisons and hierarchical modeling, linear regression, nonconjugate priors and Metropolis-Hastings algorithms, linear and generalized linear mixed effects models, & latent variable methods for ordinal data.
Statistical Associates "Blue Book" series ebooks
Introductions to many statistical topics written at an introductory graduate level. A few, such as the primers on probability and game theory, can be immediately downloaded. Others are available as inexpensive ($5) Kindle ebooks or you can register for a password to download a free version.

Research Methods Knowledge Base
"a comprehensive web-based textbook that addresses all of the topics in a typical introductory undergraduate or graduate course in social research methods. "

Online Statistics Courses

Probability & Statistics
Free course from Carnegie Mellon University, provided by the Open Learning Initiative.
Introduction to Statistics 101 - Udacity
This free online course teaches "visualization, probability, regression and other topics that will help you learn the basic methods of understanding data with statistics."
Statistical Thinking for Managerial Decisions
"This Web site is a course in statistics appreciation; i.e., acquiring a feeling for the statistical way of thinking. It contains various useful concepts and topics at many levels of learning statistics for decision making under uncertainties. The cardinal objective for this Web site is to increase the extent to which statistical thinking is merged with managerial thinking for good decision making under uncertainty."
Free site, supported by National Science Foundation
School of Data
Free courses and materials on learning to use data.