Statistical Research Key Course Resources

​Please download and read the handout files below, listed by the week each will enter into our classroom conversation. Additional files may be added during the semester, so please check this page weekly. Each of the files I am providing contain important background information related to the course and/or one or more of the methods we will discuss in class.

Note, some links below may direct you to articles on journal websites. If you are accessing this page from a UNT computer, you can download a full-text version of each of the articles for free (this will not work if you are accessing this page from a non-UNT device).

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about any of these resources.

Week 1: Introduction to the Course

• What is “probability”?
• Theoretical Probability versus Empirical Probability
• Use of probability in the context of descriptive statistics
• Basic approaches to probability: non-parametric and parametric
• Probability Distributions
• Z-Scores

Resources for This Week and Beyond...

• Week 1 Learning Objectives
• Week 1 Materials
• Video: Initial Thoughts on Statistics and Research​
• GEOG 4185 Syllabus
• GEOG 5185 Syllabus​
• ​Why Study Statistics?
• Key Concepts Summary for Entire Course
• Online Conceptual Reading: False Positives (introductory reading)
• Online Conceptual Reading: Understanding Data
• Solving Complex Problems
• ​Esri MOOC (Supplementary Learning Opportunity): Going Places With Spatial Analysis
• YouTube GEOG 4185/5185 Playlist

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Week 2: Intro to Probability, Distributions, Z-Scores

• What is “probability”?
• Theoretical Probability versus Empirical Probability
• Use of probability in the context of descriptive statistics
• Basic approaches to probability: non-parametric and parametric
• Probability Distributions
• Z-Scores​

Resources for This Week and Beyond...

• Week 2 Learning Objectives
• Week 2 Materials

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Week 3: Normal and Poisson Probabilities, and Statistical Testing Basics

• Normal Probability Distribution
  • Background, Examples
  • Fitting the Normal Curve to Data
  • Using the Normal Table
  • Foundations of Testing for a Normal Distribution
• Poisson Distribution
  • Background, Examples
  • Relevance
  • Meaning
• Introduction to Statistical Testing
  • Hypotheses
  • Assumptions
  • Critical values, test statistics, and the p-value

Resources for This Week and Beyond...

• Week 3 Learning Objectives
• Week 3 Materials

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Week 4: Tails in Testing and Sampling Issues

• One versus Two-Tailed Tests
• Samples and Sampling
  • Sampling Methods

Resources for This Week and Beyond...

• Week 4 Learning Objectives
• Week 4 Materials

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Week 5: Data Description and Transforming Distributions 

• Description
  • Central Tendency
  • Dispersion
  • Skewness and Kurtosis
• Transforming Data
  • What Transformations Are
  • Why you do them
  • Major Types

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Week 6: Estimates from Samples and Sample Size Determination

• Estimates from Samples
  • Estimating the Mean
  • Estimating the Standard Deviation
  • Estimates from Small Samples
  • Estimating Proportions
• Sample Size
• Overview of Comparative Tests
• Six Steps of a Formal Statistical Test
• K-S Test

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Week 7: Comparative Statistical Methods, Part I

• Six Steps of a Formal Hypothesis Test
• Summary
• Example
• Mann-Whitney U Test
• Student’s t Test
• Overview of available options 

 

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Week 8: Comparative Statistical Methods, Part II

• Chi Square test
  • One Sample
  • Two Sample
  • Three or More Sample

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