Editing Statistical theory (section)

===Applied statistical inference===
Statistical theory provides the basis for a number of data-analytic approaches that are common across scientific and social research. [[Interpreting statistical data|Interpreting data]] is done with one of the following approaches:
*[[estimation theory|Estimating parameters]]
*Providing a [[Interval estimation|range of values]] instead of a [[point estimate]]
*[[Statistical hypothesis testing|Testing statistical hypotheses]]

Many of the standard methods for those approaches rely on certain [[statistical assumption]]s (made in the derivation of the methodology) actually holding in practice. Statistical theory studies the consequences of departures from these assumptions. In addition it provides a range of [[robust statistic|robust statistical techniques]] that are less dependent on assumptions, and it provides methods checking whether particular assumptions are reasonable for a given data set.