Fundamentals of Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data, 6th Edition

Statistics becomes more useful when it helps answer a real question. In Fundamentals of Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data, Michael Sullivan connects core statistical methods with the choices readers make about collecting evidence, describing patterns, and drawing conclusions from data.

This sixth edition follows a clear progression from study design and data summaries to probability and statistical inference. Applied decision projects, guided examples, and exercises that bring earlier skills back into play make it a course-oriented introduction to both the methods and the reasoning behind them.

Start with the data—and how it was gathered

The opening material examines variables, observational studies, designed experiments, sampling methods, and bias. That foundation matters: before interpreting a graph or calculating a statistic, readers need to consider where the data came from and what conclusions the study can support.

Describe patterns clearly

Chapters on tables, graphs, measures of center and spread, position, and boxplots build a practical toolkit for summarizing data. The text also considers misleading graphical presentations and relationships between variables, including correlation, least-squares regression, and contingency tables.

Connect probability to statistical conclusions

Readers progress through probability rules, discrete and normal probability distributions, and sampling distributions before working with confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Further topics include comparing groups, chi-square procedures, and inference for regression. The sequence helps place individual techniques within the broader logic of statistical analysis.

Practice choosing the method

Step-by-step examples organize problems around the question, an approach, and a solution. Review sections, chapter tests, cumulative exercises, and interpretation-focused questions provide repeated opportunities to check understanding and decide which technique fits a problem. Threaded exercises use a shared tornado data set to revisit statistical ideas across the text.

For introductory statistics students

Designed as a college introductory text, this book is suited to students building a foundation in data collection, descriptive statistics, probability, and inference. Its applied projects and examples keep the central purpose in view: using statistical evidence to make informed decisions.