This proceedings volume contains nine selected papers that were presented in the International Symposium in Statistics, 2012 held at Memorial University from July 16 to 18. These nine papers cover three different areas for longitudinal data analysis, four dealing with longitudinal data subject to measurement errors, four on incomplete longitudinal data analysis, and the last one for inferences for longitudinal data subject to outliers. Unlike in the independence setup, the inferences in measurement errors, missing values, and/or outlier models, are not adequately discussed in the longitudinal setup. The papers in the present volume provide details on successes and further challenges in these three areas for longitudinal data analysis. This volume is the first outlet with current research in three important areas in the longitudinal setup. The nine papers presented in three parts clearly reveal the similarities and differences in inference techniques used for three different longitudinal setups. Because the research problems considered in this volume are encountered in many real life studies in biomedical, clinical, epidemiology, socioeconomic, econometrics, and engineering fields, the volume should be useful to the researchers including graduate students in these areas.

This is the first book in longitudinal categorical data analysis with parametric correlation models developed based on dynamic relationships among repeated categorical responses. This book is a natural generalization of the longitudinal binary data analysis to the multinomial data setup with more than two categories. Thus, unlike the existing books on cross-sectional categorical data analysis using log linear models, this book uses multinomial probability models both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. A theoretical foundation is provided for the analysis of univariate multinomial responses, by developing models systematically for the cases with no covariates as well as categorical covariates, both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. In the longitudinal setup, both stationary and non-stationary covariates are considered. These models have also been extended to the bivariate multinomial setup along with suitable covariates. For the inferences, the book uses the generalized quasi-likelihood as well as the exact likelihood approaches.The book is technically rigorous, and, it also presents illustrations of the statistical analysis of various real life data involving univariate multinomial responses both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. This book is written mainly for the graduate students and researchers in statistics and social sciences, among other applied statistics research areas. However, the rest of the book, specifically the chapters from 1 to 3, may also be used for a senior undergraduate course in statistics.

This book provides a theoretical foundation for the analysis of discrete data such as count and binary data in the longitudinal setup. Unlike the existing books, this book uses a class of auto-correlation structures to model the longitudinal correlations for the repeated discrete data that accommodates all possible Gaussian type auto-correlation models as special cases including the equi-correlation models. This new dynamic modelling approach is utilized to develop theoretically sound inference techniques such as the generalized quasi-likelihood (GQL) technique for consistent and efficient estimation of the underlying regression effects involved in the model, whereas the existing 'working' correlations based GEE (generalized
estimating equations) approach has serious theoretical limitations both for consistent and efficient estimation, and the existing random effects based correlations approach is not suitable to model the longitudinal correlations. The book has exploited the random effects carefully only to model the correlations of the familial data. Subsequently, this book has modelled the correlations of the longitudinal data collected from the members of a large number of independent families by using the class of auto-correlation structures conditional on the random effects. The book also provides models and inferences for discrete longitudinal data in the adaptive clinical trial set up.
The book is mathematically rigorous and provides details for the development of estimation approaches under selected familial and longitudinal models. Further, while the book provides special cares for mathematics behind the correlation models, it also presents the
illustrations of the statistical analysis of various real life data.
This book will be of interest to the researchers including graduate students in biostatistics and econometrics, among other applied statistics research areas. Brajendra Sutradhar is a University Research Professor at Memorial University in St. John's, Canada. He is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute and a fellow of the American Statistical Association. He has published about 110 papers in statistics journals in the area of multivariate analysis, time series analysis including forecasting, sampling, survival analysis for correlated failure times, robust inferences in generalized linear mixed models with outliers, and generalized linear longitudinal mixed models with bio-statistical and econometric applications. He has served as an associate editor for six years for Canadian Journal of Statistics and for four years for the Journal of Environmental and Ecological Statistics. He has served for 3 years as a member of the advisory committee on statistical methods in Statistics Canada. Professor Sutradhar was awarded 2007 distinguished service award of Statistics Society of Canada for his many years of services to the
society including his special services for society's annual meetings.

This is the first book in longitudinal categorical data analysis with parametric correlation models developed based on dynamic relationships among repeated categorical responses. This book is a natural generalization of the longitudinal binary data analysis to the multinomial data setup with more than two categories. Thus, unlike the existing books on cross-sectional categorical data analysis using log linear models, this book uses multinomial probability models both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. A theoretical foundation is provided for the analysis of univariate multinomial responses, by developing models systematically for the cases with no covariates as well as categorical covariates, both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. In the longitudinal setup, both stationary and non-stationary covariates are considered. These models have also been extended to the bivariate multinomial setup along with suitable covariates. For the inferences, the book uses the generalized quasi-likelihood as well as the exact likelihood approaches.The book is technically rigorous, and, it also presents illustrations of the statistical analysis of various real life data involving univariate multinomial responses both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. This book is written mainly for the graduate students and researchers in statistics and social sciences, among other applied statistics research areas. However, the rest of the book, specifically the chapters from 1 to 3, may also be used for a senior undergraduate course in statistics.

This book provides a theoretical foundation for the analysis of discrete data such as count and binary data in the longitudinal setup. Unlike the existing books, this book uses a class of auto-correlation structures to model the longitudinal correlations for the repeated discrete data that accommodates all possible Gaussian type auto-correlation models as special cases including the equi-correlation models. This new dynamic modelling approach is utilized to develop theoretically sound inference techniques such as the generalized quasi-likelihood (GQL) technique for consistent and efficient estimation of the underlying regression effects involved in the model, whereas the existing 'working' correlations based GEE (generalized estimating equations) approach has serious theoretical limitations both for consistent and efficient estimation, and the existing random effects based correlations approach is not suitable to model the longitudinal correlations. The book has exploited the random effects carefully only to model the correlations of the familial data. Subsequently, this book has modelled the correlations of the longitudinal data collected from the members of a large number of independent families by using the class of auto-correlation structures conditional on the random effects. The book also provides models and inferences for discrete longitudinal data in the adaptive clinical trial set up. The book is mathematically rigorous and provides details for the development of estimation approaches under selected familial and longitudinal models. Further, while the book provides special cares for mathematics behind the correlation models, it also presents the illustrations of the statistical analysis of various real life data. This book will be of interest to the researchers including graduate students in biostatistics and econometrics, among other applied statistics research areas. Brajendra Sutradhar is a University Research Professor at Memorial University in St. John's, Canada. He is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute and a fellow of the American Statistical Association. He has published about 110 papers in statistics journals in the area of multivariate analysis, time series analysis including forecasting, sampling, survival analysis for correlated failure times, robust inferences in generalized linear mixed models with outliers, and generalized linear longitudinal mixed models with bio-statistical and econometric applications. He has served as an associate editor for six years for Canadian Journal of Statistics and for four years for the Journal of Environmental and Ecological Statistics. He has served for 3 years as a member of the advisory committee on statistical methods in Statistics Canada. Professor Sutradhar was awarded 2007 distinguished service award of Statistics Society of Canada for his many years of services to the society including his special services for society's annual meetings.

This proceedings volume contains eight selected papers that were presented in the International Symposium in Statistics (ISS) 2015 On Advances in Parametric and Semi-parametric Analysis of Multivariate, Time Series, Spatial-temporal, and Familial-longitudinal Data, held in St. John's, Canada from July 6 to 8, 2015. The main objective of the ISS-2015 was the discussion on advances and challenges in parametric and semi-parametric analysis for correlated data in both continuous and discrete setups. Thus, as a reflection of the theme of the symposium, the eight papers of this proceedings volume are presented in four parts. Part I is comprised of papers examining Elliptical t Distribution Theory. In Part II, the papers cover spatial and temporal data analysis. Part III is focused on longitudinal multinomial models in parametric and semi-parametric setups. Finally Part IV concludes with a paper on the inferences for longitudinal data subject to a challenge of important covariates selection from a set of large number of covariates available for the individuals in the study.

This proceedings volume contains nine selected papers that were presented in the International Symposium in Statistics, 2012 held at Memorial University from July 16 to 18. These nine papers cover three different areas for longitudinal data analysis, four dealing with longitudinal data subject to measurement errors, four on incomplete longitudinal data analysis, and the last one for inferences for longitudinal data subject to outliers. Unlike in the independence setup, the inferences in measurement errors, missing values, and/or outlier models, are not adequately discussed in the longitudinal setup. The papers in the present volume provide details on successes and further challenges in these three areas for longitudinal data analysis. This volume is the first outlet with current research in three important areas in the longitudinal setup. The nine papers presented in three parts clearly reveal the similarities and differences in inference techniques used for three different longitudinal setups. Because the research problems considered in this volume are encountered in many real life studies in biomedical, clinical, epidemiology, socioeconomic, econometrics, and engineering fields, the volume should be useful to the researchers including graduate students in these areas.