This book is an introduction to statistics for linguists using the open source software R. It
is aimed at students and instructors professors with little or no statistical background and is
written in a non-technical and reader-friendly accessible style. It first introduces in detail
the overall logic underlying quantitative studies: exploration hypothesis formulation and
operationalization and the notion and meaning of significance tests. It then introduces some
basics of the software R relevant to statistical data analysis. A chapter on descriptive
statistics explains how summary statistics for frequencies averages and correlations are
generated with R and how they are graphically represented best. A chapter on analytical
statistics explains how statistical tests are performed in R on the basis of many different
linguistic case studies: For nearly every single example it is explained what the structure of
the test looks like how hypotheses are formulated explored and tested for statistical
significance how the results are graphically represented and how one would summarize them in
a paper article. A chapter on selected multifactorial methods introduces how more complex
research designs can be studied: methods for the study of multifactorial frequency data
correlations tests for means and binary response data are discussed and exemplified
step-by-step. Also the exploratory approach of hierarchical cluster analysis is illustrated in
detail. The book comes with many exercises boxes with short think breaks and warnings
recommendations for further study and answer keys as well as a statistics for linguists
newsgroup on the companion website. The volume is aimed at beginners on every level of
linguistic education: undergraduate students graduate students and instructors professors and
can be used in any research methods and statistics class for linguists. It presupposes no
quantitative statistical knowledge whatsoever and unlike most competing books begins at step
1 for every method and explains everything explicitly.
