Making Sense of Statistics, Eighth Edition, is the ideal introduction to the concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics for students undertaking their first research project. It presents each statistical concept in a series of short steps, then uses worked examples and exercises to enable students to apply their own learning.
It focuses on presenting the “why,” as well as the “how” of statistical concepts, rather than computations and formulas. As such, it is suitable for students from all disciplines regardless of mathematical background. Only statistical techniques that are almost universally included in introductory statistics courses, and widely reported in journals, have been included.
This conceptual book is useful for all study levels, from undergraduate to doctoral level across disciplines. Once students understand and feel comfortable with the statistics presented in this book, they should find it easy to master additional statistical concepts.
New to the Eighth Edition

• Reorganization of chapters to allow better progress in conceptual understanding
• Additional discussions on program evaluation, displays of outcomes, and examples
• Chapter objectives at the beginning of each chapter are listed with clear learning objectives for the reader
• Expanded appendices include a reference to common computational formulas and examples
• A glossary of key terms has been updated to function as a useful vocabulary list for use in a first course in statistics
• Updated online resources, including a basic math review and answers and a test bank of questions