Statistics are important tools for validating theory, making predictions and engaging in policy research. They help to provide informed commentary about social and environmental issues, and to make the case for change. Knowledge of statistics is therefore a necessary skill for any student of geography or environmental science.

This textbook is aimed at students on a degree course taking a module in statistics for the first time. It focuses on analysing, exploring and making sense of data in areas of core interest to physical and human geographers, and to environmental scientists. It covers the subject in a broadly conventional way from descriptive statistics, through inferential statistics to relational statistics but does so with an emphasis on applied data analysis throughout.

Features of the book:

• Written specifically for students studying geography and environmental science
• Summaries of key statistical concepts in each chapter that can be referred back to without reading the whole chapter again
• All the examples are based on analyses of real data sets
• Strong focus on graphical techniques to explore and to present data
• Introduction to the latest thinking in the subject including spatial regression models, geographically weighted regression and multilevel modelling

Richard Harris is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol

Claire Jarvis is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Geography, University of Leicester