A Guide for the Application of Trend Analysis and Other Statistical Methods

This research effort was directed toward offering a practical, effective guidebook for the application of statistical trend analysis methods. StandardizationEvaluation offices throughout the Air Force are required to do trend analysis on measurements taken over time, but those doing it often have no mathematical background. Chapter IV, the users guide, is written, for them. Ten trend descriptiontrend evaluation methods are offered, nine dealing directly with trend analysis and one with correlation. They are discussed in detail, then are presented in step-by-step guidesheet form. The significance of trends are evaluated using the z-statistic for large samples and the t-statistic for small samples from normal populations. Three more easily applied non-parametric methods are offered for use when time is limited or assumptions for other methods cannot be met.