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| Scientific Inquiry's Role in Decision Making | |
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| The Role of Business Research in the Decision Making Process | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Decision Making | |
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| The Role of Research in Decision Making | |
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| The Manager-Researcher Relationship | |
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| Plan of the Book | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Scientific Inquiry | |
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| Overview | |
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| Definitions | |
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| Methods of Theory Construction | |
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| Relevance of Science in Business Research | |
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| State of the Art in Business Research | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Beginning the Research Process | |
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| Secondary Data Collection in Business Inquiry | |
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| Overview | |
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| Secondary Data in Business Research | |
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| Development of a Search Strategy | |
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| The Internet | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Problem and Proposal Development and Management | |
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| Overview | |
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| Problem Identification and Formulation | |
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| Proposal Development | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Appendix: Methods of Assessing the Value of Research Information | |
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| Research Design | |
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| Fundamentals of Research Design | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Research Design | |
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| Error Reduction Through Design | |
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| Major Types of Designs | |
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| Specific Design Configurations | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Appendix: Advanced Experimental Designs | |
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| Foundations of Measurement | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Measurement | |
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| Levels of Measurement | |
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| Evaluation of Measurement Scales | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Scaling and Instrument Design | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Instrument Design | |
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| Scale Development | |
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| Instrument Design | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Sampling Design | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Sampling | |
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| An Introduction to the Philosophy of Sampling | |
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| Sample Designs | |
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| Practical Considerations in Sampling | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Appendix: A Computational Example Illustrating the Properties of the Central Limit Theorem | |
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| Notes | |
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| Primary Data Collection (PDC) | |
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| PDC Using Survey Instruments | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Primary Data Collection (PDC) | |
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| Active PDC Using Survey Instruments | |
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| PDC Vendors | |
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| Panel Vendors | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| PDC Using Observation, In-Depth Interviews, and Other Qualitative Techniques | |
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| Overview | |
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| Nature and Uses of Qualitative Research | |
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| Passive PDC Using Observation | |
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| Active PDC Using Qualitative Research Techniques | |
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| Qualitative Research Vendors | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Analytical Procedures | |
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| Planning for Data Analysis | |
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| Overview | |
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| Planning Issues | |
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| Selecting the Appropriate Analytical Software or Online Research Supplier | |
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| The Preanalytical Process | |
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| Basic Analytical Framework for Business Research | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Model Building and the Data Analysis Process | |
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| Overview | |
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| Role Modeling | |
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| Types and Characteristics of Models | |
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| Selected a Model Solution Technique | |
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| An Example of Model Construction, Solution, and Use | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Basic Analytical Methods | |
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| Overview | |
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| Classification of Analytical Methods by Purpose | |
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| Exploratory Data Analysis | |
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| Basic Methods of Assembling Association | |
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| Basic Methods of Assessing Differences | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Appendix: Additional Basic Analytical Techniques | |
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| Analysis of Variance and Regression Techniques | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Nature of Variance Decomposition | |
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| Linear Models | |
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| Nonparametric ANOVA | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Appendix: The Use of Dummy and Effect Coding to Examine Group Differences Using Multiple Linear Regression | |
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| Advanced Multivariate Analysis | |
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| Overview | |
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| Introduction to Multivariate Analysis | |
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| Selection of a Multivariate Technique | |
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| Analysis of Dependency | |
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| Analysis of Interdependency | |
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| Comment on Multivariate Techniques | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Research Reporting and Evaluation | |
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| Ethical Considerations in Business Research | |
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| Overview | |
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| Ethical Issues in Business Research | |
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| Ethical Issues in a High Technology Environment | |
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| Codes of Ethics | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| Appendix: Excerpts from the ICC/ESOMAR International Code of Marketing and Social Research Practice | |
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| Research Reporting | |
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| Overview | |
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| Written Research Reports | |
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| Oral Presentations | |
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| Research Evaluation | |
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| Communication Challenges in the Future | |
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| Managerial Considerations | |
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| Summary | |
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| Discussion Questions | |
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| Notes | |
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| Suggested Reading | |
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| A Practitioner's Guide to Secondary Business Information Sources | |
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| Overview | |
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| Research Guides and Bibliographies | |
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| Encyclopedias, Directories, Dictionaries, and Handbooks | |
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| Indexes | |
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| Statistical Sources | |
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| References for Individual Companies | |
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| Other Sources: International Business | |
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| A Note on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and the North American Industry Classifications System (NAICS) | |
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| Selected Statistical Tables | |
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| Areas Under the Normal Curve | |
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| Distribution of t | |
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| F Distribution | |
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| Distribution of x squared | |
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| Index | |