Analyzing observed or measured data is an important step in applied sciences. the recent increase in computer capacity has resulted in a revolution both in data collection and data analysis. an increasing number of scientists, researchers and students are venturing into statistical data analysis; hence the need for more guidance in this field, which was previously dominated mainly by statisticians.this handbook fills the gap in the range of textbooks on data analysis. written in a dictionary format, it will serve as a comprehensive reference book in a rapidly growing field. however, this book is more structured than an ordinary dictionary, where each entry is a separate, self-contained entity. the authors provide not only definitions and short descriptions, but also offer an overview of the different topics. therefore, the handbook can also be used as a companion to textbooks for undergraduate or graduate courses.1700 entries are given in alphabetical order grouped into 20 topics and each topic is organized in a hierarchical fashion. additional specific entries on a topic can be easily found by following the cross-references in a top-down manner. several figures and tables are provided to enhance the comprehension of the topics and a list of acronyms helps to locate the full terminologies. the bibliography offers suggestions for further reading.