Written by a non-statistician for non-statisticians, the book emphasizes the practical approach to those problems in statistics that arise regularly in data analysis situations in nuclear and high energy physics experiments. Rather than concentrate on proofs and theorems, the author provides an abundance of simple examples that illustrate the general ideas presented. This allows the reader to obtain maximum information in the simplest manner. Possible difficulties with the various techniques, and pitfalls to be avoided, are also discussed. This commonsense approach to statistical formalism...

This textbook is intended for undergraduates who are carrying out laboratory experiments in the physical sciences for the first time. It is a practical guide on how to analyze data and estimate errors. The necessary formulas for performing calculations are given, and the ideas behind them are explained, although this is not a formal text on statistics. Specific examples are worked through step by step in the text. Emphasis is placed on the need to think about whether a calculated error is sensible. Students should take this book with them to the laboratory, and the format is intended to make...