Introducing Lisrel: A Guide for the Uninitiated
Diamantopoulos, A. 2000. Introducing Lisrel: A Guide for the Uninitiated. London: SAGE.
Rating:
8
Summary:
The book is, as its title implies, a guide to the statistical analysis program LISREL. LISREL is used for analyzing covariance or correlation matrices to test theoretical models. The book covers when to use LISREL, how to use it, and what the program will tell you. Included are examples of input and output along with their interpretations. The authors also discuss some of the problems you may have in using the program along with some of the problems with LISREL output (goodness of fit measures).
Review:
Good introduction to LISREL
I find it hard to comment critically on statistical texts as I am still a novice on many of these subjects. Additionally, while at some level there are points that can be debated in statistical analysis, it is one of the areas in sociology where there are right and wrong answers as to how to do things. So, you can’t really take issue with the theory or interpretations of the findings.
So, I’ll simply comment on how well the authors explain the program and procedure. Frankly, I think they do a great job. As they point out, the actual manual to LISREL is quite large and written by experts for experts. After having read this book, one would probably be able to dive into the manual and stay afloat, rather than sinking straight away.
I should note, however, that this book is not going to be intelligible to just anyone. I suggest a thorough grounding in basic statistical concepts along with a good understanding of factor analysis are essential for understanding both the concepts discussed in this book and the reason for using this technique. In other words, if you are planning on taking a course on LISREL, I highly suggest you refresh your understanding of basic statistics (as can be found in most introductory textbooks) and also read up on factor analysis (Paul Kline’s book is a good introduction to that topic).
Overall, this is a clear explanation of the LISREL program and its applications. I would highly recommend it for individuals interested in learning when and how to use LISREL in the study of social scientific phenomena.