Research Guides: Biostatistics: Getting Started

Welcome!

Welcome to the Biostatistics Research Guide. Students, faculty, and staff in Biostatistics will find these resources particularly useful. Use this page as a jumping-off point to locate journal articles, find training and professional development resources, and learn more about what the library and your librarian can do for you.

If you are not finding the information you need, do not hesitate to contact Samantha Guss, Research and Education Librarian and Liaison to the School of Population Health or use VCU Libraries' Ask Us service.

A librarian is available to you, and they can:

Provide research consultations and assist with literature searches,
Assist with comprehensive literature searches strategies,
Assist with reference management software like Zotero or Mendeley,
And so much more!

Key Resources

American Statistical Association
This organization, the second oldest of its kind in the United States, is dedicated to promoting the practice of statistics across all professional areas.
Eastern North American Region International Biometric Society
Covering the eastern US and Canada, the ENAR is a professional organization for statistical scientists designed to promote and support the profession.
International Society for Clinical Biostatistics
Founded in 1978, this international society is charged with the mission to bring statistical methods and analysis to clinical applications.

Popular resources used to search for protocols:

Springer Nature Experiments
This collection of over 20,000 life sciences and biomedical protocols includes 3500+ protocols relating to statistics. Because of its size, we recommend searching this collection first for protocols.
Statistical Methods in Medical Research
Peer-reviewed scholarly journal focused on medical statistics
Statistical Methods & Applications
Formerly the Journal of the Italian Statistical Society, this journal focuses on statistical methods and their applications.
Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods
This peer-reviewed, open-access journal focuses on applied parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses.
Not finding what you're looking for?
Try our research guide for experimental protocols

The following are some basic videos that you may find helpful. Please note that the resources provided on this page are not a substitute for speaking with a trained scientist on how to properly perform these procedures.

Student's t-test
Bozeman Science video explaining the theory and application of a t-test.
P-values and significance tests
Khan Academy video on the basics of determining statistical significance.
Correlation & Regression
Learn & Apply video detailing relationships between variables.

The following are a selection of e-books available through VCU Libraries. Unless otherwise noted, e-books are restricted to 1 user at a time.

Biostatistics and Computer-Based Analysis of Health Data Using SAS by Mounir Mesbah; Christophe Lalanne
ISBN: 9780081011713
Publication Date: 2017-06-22
This volume of the Biostatistics and Health Sciences Set focuses on statistics applied to clinical research.
Understanding Biostatistics by Anders Källén
ISBN: 9781119992684
Publication Date: 2011-03-01
Understanding Biostatistics looks at the fundamentals of biostatistics, using elementary statistics to explore the nature of statistical tests. This book is intended to complement first-year statistics and biostatistics textbooks.
Introduction to Data Analysis and Graphical Presentation in Biostatistics with R by Thomas W. MacFarland
ISBN: 9783319025322
Publication Date: 2013-11-19
Through real-world datasets, this book shows the reader how to work with material in biostatistics using the open source software R.
Recent Advances in Biostatistics by Manish Bhattacharjee; Sunil K. Dhar (Editor); Sundarraman Subramanian (Editor)
ISBN: 9789814329804
Publication Date: 2011-03-18
This unique volume provides self-contained accounts of some recent trends in Biostatistics methodology and their applications.
Statistical Methods and Reasoning for the Clinical Sciences by Eiki Satake
ISBN: 9781597564335
Publication Date: 2014-03-01
This text will discuss the fundamentals of statistical methods, including statistical vocabulary, population parameters, sampling methods and descriptive methods like measures, correlation and regression. Also, the topic of probability is emphasized, seeing that in order for any clinician to generate a precise diagnosis, a firm grasp of the probablilistic approach is critical.

Medical statistics books available throughout the "R" section at the Health Sciences Library. The following is a selection of books that are part of VCU Libraries' physical collection. If there is a book that you love, that is not in our collection, please email Stacey Wahl, Ph.D. to inquire about adding it to the collection at HSL

Statistics for Pathologists by Dan A. Milner; Emily Meserve; Thing Rinda Soong; Tony Steele; Doug Mata; Douglas A. Mata
Call Number: Health Sciences Library General Collection RB37 .M47 2017
ISBN: 9781620700921
Publication Date: 2016-11-15
This essential guide provides a clear, accessible review of the use of statistics in pathology studies. Throughout the guide, the author team highlights common errors and pitfalls that occur when performing tests and when interpreting data and make suggestions for how to avoid mistakes.
Clinical Trials by Steven Piantadosi
Call Number: Health Sciences Library General Collection R853.C55 P53 2017
ISBN: 9781118959206
Publication Date: 2017-08-28
Presents elements of clinical trial methods that are essential in planning, designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting clinical trials with the goal of improving the evidence derived from these important studies .
Basic Allied Health Statistics and Analysis by Gerda Koch
Call Number: Health Sciences Library General Collection R853.S7 K63 2015
ISBN: 9781133602705
Publication Date: 2014-03-11
BASIC ALLIED HEALTH STATISTICS AND ANALYSIS, 4th Edition is the comprehensive resource for future health care professionals in a variety of Health Information Management careers. Designed to explain common statistical computations and their practical uses in health care settings, the book's hands-on approach requires students to think through problems and then apply the proper method of statistical analysis.
Primer of Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance by Stanton A. Glantz; Bryan K. Slinker; Torsten B. Neilands
Call Number: Health Sciences Library General Collection QH323.5 .G56 2016
ISBN: 9780071824118
Publication Date: 2016-04-08
The book has been acclaimed for its user-friendly style that makes complicated material understandable to readers who do not have an extensive math background. The text is packed with learning aids that include chapter-ending summaries and end-of-chapter problems that quickly assess mastery of the material.