Statistics for Linguistics with R: A Practical Introduction (Mouton Textbook) [Paperback]

Stefan Th. Gries (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3110205653 | ISBN-13: 978-3110205657 | Publication Date: May 19, 2010 | Edition: 1

This book is an introduction to statistics for linguists using the open source software R. It is aimed at students and instructors/professors with little or no statistical background and is written in a non-technical and reader-friendly/accessible style. It first introduces in detail the overall logic underlying quantitative studies: exploration, hypothesis formulation and operationalization, and the notion and meaning of significance tests. It then introduces some basics of the software R relevant to statistical data analysis. A chapter on descriptive statistics explains how summary statistics for frequencies, averages, and correlations are generated with R and how they are graphically represented best. A chapter on analytical statistics explains how statistical tests are performed in R on the basis of many different linguistic case studies: For nearly every single example, it is explained what the structure of the test looks like, how hypotheses are formulated, explored, and tested for statistical significance, how the results are graphically represented, and how one would summarize them in a paper/article. A chapter on selected multifactorial methods introduces how more complex research designs can be studied: methods for the study of multifactorial frequency data, correlations, tests for means, and binary response data are discussed and exemplified step-by-step. Also, the exploratory approach of hierarchical cluster analysis is illustrated in detail. The book comes with many exercises, boxes with short think breaks and warnings, recommendations for further study, and answer keys as well as a statistics for linguists newsgroup on the companion website. The volume is aimed at beginners on every level of linguistic education: un

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gries has diligently compiled a work of great use and interest. It is relevantabove all to linguistic students and researchers, and can readily act as atextbook for taught courses. It should be noted that the book is equally usefulas a reference guide, with the analysis scenarios sufficiently well labelled andorganized so that the reader can dip into it as and when necessary, or as acomplete set of exercises which the reader can work through section by section."Andrew Caines in: Linguist List 22.412 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Stefan Th. Gries, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton; 1 edition (May 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3110205653
• ISBN-13: 978-3110205657
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential study for linguists, March 14, 2011

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This review is from: Statistics for Linguistics with R: A Practical Introduction (Mouton Textbook) (Paperback)

Stefan Gries gives a very readable introduction to a range of statistics that are of interest to students of linguistics at the same giving an excellent introduction to R. After considerable frustration running up against the limits of other programs, R is a powerful solution to a number of methodological problems. I would also recommend Gries' Corpus Linguistics with R. These two should be required reading for anyone doing graduate work in Applied Linguistics.