Steven Simske - Meta-Analytics: Consensus Approaches and System Patterns for Data Analysis

Steve Simske, Fort Collins, CO

No man is an island, and a book is definitely a human archipelago. I owe so much to so many for this book being completed and hopefully of high relevance to the reader. I am especially happy with the advancements in clustering and classification that show in here, along with a wide variety of analytic approaches based on great work in disparate fields of science. If I have seen anything well here, to paraphrase the late, great Newton, it is because I am understanding on the shoulders of giants.

Thanks to the team at Elsevier for their prodding, probing, professionalism, and promptness. In particular, Id like to thank Brian Guerin, Glyn Jones, Sabrina Webber, Peter Llewellyn, and Aleksandra Packowska for their important roles in seeing this book through its more than 2-year incubation and birth.

Thanks to many, many encouraging colleagues and friendsfrom universities, from HP Inc., and from so many groups and activities here in Fort Collins. Hundreds of people whove made my life better during the writing of this book may not all be named here, but rest assured that you are appreciated! Without having had the chance to participate in so many different activities and professions over the years, I would never have been able to see the connections between them.

Thanks to all the great folks at Colorado State University, which I made my professional home at the beginning of the writing phase of this book. In particular, thanks to the systems engineering staff and faculty (featuring Jim Adams, Ann Batchelor, Mike Borky, Ingrid Bridge, Jim Cale, Mary Gomez, Greg Bo Marzolf, Erika Miller, Ron Sega, and Tom Bradley) for providing me with a home and classroom suitable for elaboration of key parts of the book, not to mention their support and friendship, which seem the rule at CSU.

Special thanks indeed to my Irish trio of great friends: Paul Ellingstad, Mick Keyes, and Gary Moloney. Their wisdom, friendship, kindhearted cynicism, energy, and inability to lose their optimism in the face of the grittiness of reality have always been a wind in my sails. Special thanks also to my non-Irish support team of friends and intellectual guides: Reed Ayers, Dave Barry, Gary Dispoto, Matt Gaubatz, Ellis Gayles, Stephen Pollard, Tom Schmeister, Steve Siatczynski, Dave Wright, and Bob Ulichney. Thank you, brothers!

Some of our best friends come from professional organizations. From ACM Doc Eng, I have lifelong friends in Steve Bagley, the Balinskys, Dave and Julie Brailsford, Alexandra Bonnici, Tamir Hassan, Rafael Lins, Cerstin Mahlow, Ethan Munson, Michael Piotrowski, and so many more. Thank you all! From IS&T, Suzanne Grinnan and staff (Jenny OBrien, Diana Gonzalez, Roberta Morehouse, Donna Smith, and Marion Zoretich chief among them), Alan Hodgson, Robin Jenkin, Susan Farnand, and many others have helped guide my research and professional career with friendship and advice.

A friend and IS&T colleague who Ive worked with for 10 years played a huge role in this book. Thanks, and then, more thanks goes to Marie Vans for proofreading this entire book from start to finish. If errors remain, they are of course my evil spawn, but thanks to Marie; an unholy horde of heuristic horrors has already been eliminated. Marie, thank you so much! Having someone as talented as you are in the research area of this book go through it with a fine-tooth comb was wonderful.

Finally, this book is dedicated to Tess, my life partner for 30 years. I cannot thank you enough for your patience, encouragement, and occasional hard reset. Along with Tess, I can trust my two amazing sons (Kieran and Dallen) and my great friend, Doug Heins, to keep me on trackin life and in learning, which is really the same. Your talents, feedback, investment, and love of learning are not just inspiringthey are the breath inspired. Thank you!