A Practical Guide to Data Mining for Business and Industry

Praise for the First Edition “…a well-written book on data analysis and data mining that provides an excellent foundation…” —CHOICE “This is a must-read book for learning practical statistics and data analysis…” —Computing Reviews.com A proven go-to guide for data analysis, Making Sense of Data I: A Practical Guide to Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Mining, Second Edition focuses on basic data analysis approaches that are necessary to make timely and accurate decisions in a diverse range of projects. Based on the authors’ practical experience in implementing data analysis and data mining, the new edition provides clear explanations that guide readers from almost every field of study. In order to facilitate the needed steps when handling a data analysis or data mining project, a step-by-step approach aids professionals in carefully analyzing data and implementing results, leading to the development of smarter business decisions. The tools to summarize and interpret data in order to master data analysis are integrated throughout, and the Second Edition also features: Updated exercises for both manual and computer-aided implementation with accompanying worked examples New appendices with coverage on the freely available Traceis™ software, including tutorials using data from a variety of disciplines such as the social sciences, engineering, and finance New topical coverage on multiple linear regression and logistic regression to provide a range of widely used and transparent approaches Additional real-world examples of data preparation to establish a practical background for making decisions from data Making Sense of Data I: A Practical Guide to Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Mining, Second Edition is an excellent reference for researchers and professionals who need to achieve effective decision making from data. The Second Edition is also an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate-level courses in data analysis and data mining and is appropriate for cross-disciplinary courses found within computer science and engineering departments.

Inspired by the author's need for practical guidance in the processes of data analysis, A Practical Guide to Scientific Data Analysis has been written as a statistical companion for the working scientist. This handbook of data analysis with worked examples focuses on the application of mathematical and statistical techniques and the interpretation of their results. Covering the most common statistical methods for examining and exploring relationships in data, the text includes extensive examples from a variety of scientific disciplines. The chapters are organised logically, from planning an experiment, through examining and displaying the data, to constructing quantitative models. Each chapter is intended to stand alone so that casual users can refer to the section that is most appropriate to their problem. Written by a highly qualified and internationally respected author this text: Presents statistics for the non-statistician Explains a variety of methods to extract information from data Describes the application of statistical methods to the design of “performance chemicals” Emphasises the application of statistical techniques and the interpretation of their results Of practical use to chemists, biochemists, pharmacists, biologists and researchers from many other scientific disciplines in both industry and academia.

Analytics can make government work better—this book shows you how A Practical Guide to Analytics for Governments provides demonstrations of real-world analytics applications for legislators, policy-makers, and support staff at the federal, state, and local levels. Big data and analytics are transforming industries across the board, and government can reap many of those same benefits by applying analytics to processes and programs already in place. From healthcare delivery and child well-being, to crime and program fraud, analytics can—in fact, already does—transform the way government works. This book shows you how analytics can be implemented in your own milieu: What is the downstream impact of new legislation? How can we make programs more efficient? Is it possible to predict policy outcomes without analytics? How do I get started building analytics into my government organization? The answers are all here, with accessible explanations and useful advice from an expert in the field. Analytics allows you to mine your data to create a holistic picture of your constituents; this model helps you tailor programs, fine-tune legislation, and serve the populace more effectively. This book walks you through analytics as applied to government, and shows you how to reap Big data's benefits at whatever level necessary. Learn how analytics is already transforming government service delivery Delve into the digital healthcare revolution Use analytics to improve education, juvenile justice, and other child-focused areas Apply analytics to transportation, criminal justice, fraud, and much more Legislators and policy makers have plenty of great ideas—but how do they put those ideas into play? Analytics can play a crucial role in getting the job done well. A Practical Guide to Analytics for Governments provides advice, perspective, and real-world guidance for public servants everywhere.

With big data analytics comes big insights into profitability Big data is big business. But having the data and the computational power to process it isn't nearly enough to produce meaningful results. Big Data, Data Mining, and Machine Learning: Value Creation for Business Leaders and Practitioners is a complete resource for technology and marketing executives looking to cut through the hype and produce real results that hit the bottom line. Providing an engaging, thorough overview of the current state of big data analytics and the growing trend toward high performance computing architectures, the book is a detail-driven look into how big data analytics can be leveraged to foster positive change and drive efficiency. With continued exponential growth in data and ever more competitive markets, businesses must adapt quickly to gain every competitive advantage available. Big data analytics can serve as the linchpin for initiatives that drive business, but only if the underlying technology and analysis is fully understood and appreciated by engaged stakeholders. This book provides a view into the topic that executives, managers, and practitioners require, and includes: A complete overview of big data and its notable characteristics Details on high performance computing architectures for analytics, massively parallel processing (MPP), and in-memory databases Comprehensive coverage of data mining, text analytics, and machine learning algorithms A discussion of explanatory and predictive modeling, and how they can be applied to decision-making processes Big Data, Data Mining, and Machine Learning provides technology and marketing executives with the complete resource that has been notably absent from the veritable libraries of published books on the topic. Take control of your organization's big data analytics to produce real results with a resource that is comprehensive in scope and light on hyperbole.

To stay ahead of the competition, today?s organizations must invest in ongoing training that continuously improves their employees? knowledge and skills. A Practical Guide to Training and Development is a comprehensive resource that offers a theoretical, strategic, and practical foundation of the entire training process. The book outlines a step-by-step approach for assessing, designing, delivering and evaluating training.

Data mining is the process of automatically searching large volumes of data for models and patterns using computational techniques from statistics, machine learning and information theory; it is the ideal tool for such an extraction of knowledge. Data mining is usually associated with a business or an organization's need to identify trends and profiles, allowing, for example, retailers to discover patterns on which to base marketing objectives. This book looks at both classical and recent techniques of data mining, such as clustering, discriminant analysis, logistic regression, generalized linear models, regularized regression, PLS regression, decision trees, neural networks, support vector machines, Vapnik theory, naive Bayesian classifier, ensemble learning and detection of association rules. They are discussed along with illustrative examples throughout the book to explain the theory of these methods, as well as their strengths and limitations. Key Features: Presents a comprehensive introduction to all techniques used in data mining and statistical learning, from classical to latest techniques. Starts from basic principles up to advanced concepts. Includes many step-by-step examples with the main software (R, SAS, IBM SPSS) as well as a thorough discussion and comparison of those software. Gives practical tips for data mining implementation to solve real world problems. Looks at a range of tools and applications, such as association rules, web mining and text mining, with a special focus on credit scoring. Supported by an accompanying website hosting datasets and user analysis. Statisticians and business intelligence analysts, students as well as computer science, biology, marketing and financial risk professionals in both commercial and government organizations across all business and industry sectors will benefit from this book.

This book is designed to be a quick guide to European Union law and explains how it may be used for practical effect. It is written in a clear style for practitioners who are in a hurry to master the subject, and contains precedents of the kinds of documents they may have to prepare. It explains the basic law, the basic concepts, the procedure and the jargon in a way that lawyers new to the subject will find easy to understand. It will give them the answers they need fast. Throughout, there is extensive reference to case law. The new edition has been revised to take into account the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty, which consolidated and renumbered the articles of the Union Treaty and incorporated the Social Charter. It also covers recent case law and changes to competition law.

Food and drink choices before, during and after training and competition have a direct impact on health, body mass and composition, nutrient availability and recovery time, and an optimal diet can significantly improve exercise performance. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise outlines the fundamental principles of nutrition in relation to sport and exercise and then applies these principles through practical tools such as food and nutrient lists, recipes and menu options. This practical guide translates the athlete’s goals into achievable strategies and shortens the gap between theory and practice. Equipping the reader to successfully implement dietary changes, this is an invaluable resource for athletes, sports physicians and undergraduate students of nutrition and sport and exercise science courses. Special Features Dedicated chapters on the impact and relevance of specific nutrients and food groups Includes recipes and menu options Covers the area of sport and exercise nutrition with an evidence-based approach Concise and accessible, combining theory and practice

Featuring updates and revisions, the second edition of Clinical Neuropsychology provides trainee and practicing clinicians with practical, real-world advice on neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation. Offers illustrated coverage of neuroimaging techniques and updates on key neuro-pathological findings underpinning neurodegenerative disorders Features increased coverage of specialist areas of work, including severe brain injury, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, assessing mental capacity, and cognitive impairment and driving Features updated literature and increased coverage of topics that are of direct clinical relevance to trainee and practicing clinical psychologists Includes chapters written by professionals with many years' experience in the training of clinical psychologists

An accessible text that explains fundamental concepts in business statistics that are often obscured by formulae and mathematical notation A Guide to Business Statistics offers a practical approach to statistics that covers the fundamental concepts in business and economics. The book maintains the level of rigor of a more conventional textbook in business statistics but uses a more stream­lined and intuitive approach. In short, A Guide to Business Statistics provides clarity to the typical statistics textbook cluttered with notation and formulae. The author—an expert in the field—offers concise and straightforward explanations to the core principles and techniques in business statistics. The concepts are intro­duced through examples, and the text is designed to be accessible to readers with a variety of backgrounds. To enhance learning, most of the mathematical formulae and notation appears in technical appendices at the end of each chapter. This important resource: • Offers a comprehensive guide to understanding business statistics targeting business and economics students and professionals • Introduces the concepts and techniques through concise and intuitive examples • Focuses on understanding by moving distracting formulae and mathematical notation to appendices • Offers intuition, insights, humor, and practical advice for students of business statistics • Features coverage of sampling techniques, descriptive statistics, probability, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, and regression Written for undergraduate business students, business and economics majors, teachers, and practitioners, A Guide to Business Statistics offers an accessible guide to the key concepts and fundamental principles in statistics. DAVID M. McEVOY, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Economics Department at Appalachian State University in Boone NC. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and is coeditor of two books. Dr. McEvoy is an award-winning educator who has taught undergraduate courses in business statistics for over 10 years. DAVID M. McEVOY, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Economics Department at Appalachian State University in Boone NC. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and is coeditor of two books. Dr. McEvoy is an award-winning educator who has taught undergraduate courses in business statistics for over 10 years.An accessible text that explains fundamental conceptsin business statistics that are often obscured by formulae and mathematical notationA Guide to Business Statistics offers a practical approach to statistics that covers the fundamental concepts in business and economics. The book maintains the level of rigor of a more conventional textbook in business statistics but uses a more streamlined and intuitive approach. In short, A Guide to Business Statistics provides clarity to the typical statistics textbook cluttered with notation and formulae.The author—an expert in the field—offers concise and straightforward explanations to the core principles and techniques in business statistics. The concepts are introduced through examples, and the text is designed to be accessible