Statistics for veterinary and animal science - Aviva Petrie

A confident understanding of statistics is essential for those concerned with animal health and veterinary science. Practitioners and researchers alike must keep abreast with the literature, and evaluate competitive promotions for animal systems and health products. This book is an easy–to–use guide to statistics that will help animal scientists and veterinarians handle numerical data correctly. It assumes no prior knowledge of statistics and so enables the reader to build up an understanding of the principles and methods using real examples from companion, performance and agricultural animals. The text has been written with the non–mathematician in mind and the availability of computer statistics packages is recognized; the description of complex hand calculations is thus avoided. The emphasis throughout is on a thorough understanding of concepts and correct interpretation of results, in the context of computer output.

The book can be used as a reference guide to analysis of data and to statistical applications in experimental and clinical science. There are many cross–references between sections to allow the reader to find relevant background to the topic, and to answer specific queries. Clearly marked more advanced sections can be skipped initially without loss of continuity, but are intended for those who are familiar with the basic concepts. Helpful learning objectives and exercises enable the reader to evaluate progress in understanding. Appendices contain summarized information for ready reference.

Statistics for Veterinary and Animal Science will be invaluable to students of veterinary and animal sciences, veterinary practitioners and research scientists. It will also find a ready acceptance amongst those involved with pathology services or with developing new pharmaceutical agents, and for those involved in the maintenance and care of healthy animals in performance and production.