Case Studies in Bayesian Statistics

The past few years have witnessed dramatic advances in computational methods for Bayesian inference. As a result, Bayesian approaches to solving a wide variety of problems in data analysis and decision-making have become feasible. The purpose of this volume is to present several detailed examples of applications of Bayesian methods. The emphasis of each article is on the scientific or technological context of the problem being solved, and much background material is provided to complete the description of the analysis. This collection illustrates the ways in which Bayesian methods are permeating statistical practice. Noteworthy in the articles are the construction of explicit and conceptually simple models, the use of information other than the data under analysis, and the representation of uncertainty from various sources in the model. Consequently, many researchers will find this collection an illuminating survey of Bayesian methods in practice, and both lecturers and students will be able to learn a great deal through study of these examples.