A FIRST COURSE IN STATISTICAL METHODS addresses a pressing need in the methods course-a shorter text designed for a one-term course. By selecting and revising material from their best-selling two-semester text, AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS, Fifth Edition, the authors created an ideal book for a one-term course in statistical methods. Based on the belief that statistics is a thought process tied to the scientific method, the text utilizes a 5-step approach: 1) defining the problem, 2) collecting data, 3) summarizing data, 4) analyzing and interpreting the data, and 5) communicating the results of the analysis.