Introduction

Abstract

In this chapter, a basic conceptualization of parametric and nonparametric statistical usage is presented as well as a basic layout of the text. Two decision trees are introduced which provide a framework from which the rest of the text will flow. The decision trees are considered in great detail with specific attention to the questions presented in the trees. These questions help direct the researcher toward a specific test appropriate for the kind of data that exists in the study. Such topics as significance, ranked data, magnitude, cumulative data, dichotomous data, related and unrelated samples, independent and dependent variables, and covariates are discussed.