Across the last fifty years epidemiology has developed into a vibrant scientific discipline
that brings together the social and biological sciences incorporating everything from
statistics to the philosophy of science in its aim to study and track the distribution and
determinants of health events. A now-classic text the third edition of this essential
introductory textbook gives an overview of the core concepts that form the underpinnings of
epidemiology and epidemiologic research. Rather than focusing on statistics or formulas
Epidemiology presents the underlying epidemiologic principles and concepts in a coherent and
straightforward exposition. This core content is supplemented with historical notes a
discussion of scientific inference details about infectious disease epidemiology and some
advanced topics--including how to deal with missing data the use of causal diagrams and
quantitative bias analysis techniques--that serve as an on-ramp into further study for those
who elect to pursue it. By emphasizing a unifying set of ideas students will develop a strong
foundation for understanding the principles of epidemiologic research.
