The unit introduces students to basic ideas in exploratory data analysis, parametric statistical modelling, inferential statistics, and statistical computing in R, thereby preparing them for further study in Statistics in the second and third year. 

The unit aims to introduce students to basic ideas in exploratory data analysis, parametric statistical modelling, inferential statistics, and statistical computing in R, thereby preparing them for further study in Statistics in the second and third year. 

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:  

• define elementary statistical concepts and terminology such as sampling distribution, unbiasedness, confidence intervals and hypothesis tests 
• analyse and compare statistical properties of simple estimators and tests 
• conduct exploratory data analysis and statistical inferences, including confidence intervals and hypothesis tests, in simple one and two-sample situations 
• interpret the results of exploratory data analyses and statistical inferences in simple situations 
• use the statistical computing software R to carry out simple data analysis, including presentation of graphical and numerical summaries, and simulation 

There are supervisions in alternate weeks which provide an opportunity for students' work to be marked and discussed and to provide feedback on their understanding.  Coursework or in-class tests (where applicable) also provide an opportunity for students to receive feedback.  Students can also get feedback on their understanding directly from the lecturer, for example during the lecturer's office hour. 

G M Clarke and D Cooke, A Basic Course in Statistics (Fourth Edition) Oxford University Press, 1998; 

Robert V Hogg, Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (Sixth Edition) Prentice Hall, 2005;  

Sheldon M Ross, Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists (Third edition) Elsevier Science, 2004;  

Michael J Crawley, Statistics: An Introduction Using R. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2000