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Explanations are clear, illustrations well chosen, and language simple but precise. Intuition is praised without sacrificing rigour. Equations are kept to the minimum but all essential statistical concepts are covered. This is a very good foundational textbook, best for undergraduate-level beginners in Data Analysis, in Political Science and probably beyond.
Loveless provides a clear and highly approachable introduction to use of data and statistics for answering social science questions. Political Analysis offers a valuable guide for budding quantitative methodologists on their journey from the foundations of scientific inquiry and research design to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.
This book was fundamental for me for a very simple reason: without it, I would not have been able to write the thesis I had in mind. During my study abroad period in Erasmus, I was introduced to statistics for the first time. It was then that I decided to write a thesis on statistical research. However, I soon realized that I lacked essential knowledge and would need to take a crash course in statistics to conduct my research. Luckily, someone recommended Professor Loveless' book, which turned out to be my salvation.
As someone who has been doing statistics for political science for a few years now, I want to tell you about a textbook that has really helped take my quantitative skills to the next level - Political Analysis by Matthew Loveless.
Dr Matt Loveless single handedly taught me the skills I needed to become a quantitative researcher and to make me truly understand political science, data and statistics. As I read this book, I can hear his clear explanations, concise language and entertaining illustrations which allowed me to get my head around all aspects of political science. He draws upon the depth, breadth and wealth of experience as a teacher to make sense of statistics.
Not quite correct for reading list but it will be mentioned in new books! - I'm a librarian. I've purchased a copy for the library. I saw a write up that looked good but needed to see inside. We have had interest by our professors and students in this subject.