R help - Mar 2009 - Is there any method to identify the distribution of a given dataset?

It's important to identify the distribution of a dataset before do analysis
and inference. Is there any method to identify the distribution of a given
dataset? For example, I want to identify a dataset belong to normal of
poisson distribution, how can I do that?
-- 
View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/Is-there-any-method-to-identify-the-distribution-of-a-given-dataset--tp22413674p22413674.html
Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

Below. Brief summary is: You **need** to consult a statistician. You know
far too little statistics to do statistical analysis on your own.

-- Bert 


Bert Gunter
Genentech Nonclinical Biostatistics
650-467-7374

-----Original Message-----
From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org]
On
Behalf Of GreenBrower
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 9:12 AM
To: r-help at r-project.org
Subject: [R] Is there any method to identify the distribution of a given
dataset?


It's important to identify the distribution of a dataset before do analysis
and inference.

-- Not necessarily. Indeed, often not.

 Is there any method to identify the distribution of a given
dataset?
 -- Yes. It's discrete. The question you mean to ask is : How do I choose a
suitable model for my data?

 For example, I want to identify a dataset belong to normal of
poisson distribution, how can I do that?

-- Whew! That you even ask this question is why you need to work with
someone who knows more about statistics. No insult intended. It's kind of
like me asking a biologist what's the difference between a mitochondrion and
a nucleus. If I know so little about cell biology that I must ask, I
probably need to work with someone more knowledgeable.



-- 
View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/Is-there-any-method-to-identify-the-distribution-of-a-
given-dataset--tp22413674p22413674.html
Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

______________________________________________
R-help at r-project.org mailing list
https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.