GLMM for ecologists and evolutionary biologists

This site is dedicated to compiling information on the practical use of generalized linear mixed models, primarily intended for ecologists and evolutionary biologists but also possibly of use to others with similar backgrounds and statistical challenges. We expect that the average reader of this site is:

• primarily interested in using their data to answer (biological) questions
• also concerned with convincing editors, reviewers, and Ph.D. supervisors that their answers are "real" (i.e. sometimes needing to compute appropriate p values)
• wanting some reassurance that their answers are correct, at least as far as current statistical knowledge can tell
• reasonably statistically sophisticated (to the point of knowing about generalized linear models (GLMs) and linear mixed models (LMMs), but not comfortable with enormous amounts of technical detail
• able to use some reasonably full-featured statistical package (Genstat, SAS, R, Stata) but probably unable to code their own numerical integration routines

This website was developed in conjunction with a manuscript in Trends in Ecology and Evolution: Bolker, Benjamin M., Mollie E. Brooks, Connie J. Clark, Shane W. Geange, John R. Poulsen, M. Henry H. Stevens, and Jada-Simone S. White. 2009. Generalized linear mixed models: a practical guide for ecology and evolution. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 24: 127-135.
doi:10.1016/j.tree.2008.10.008

Available now:

• general introductory references (mostly books) for GLMMs
• intro references for MCMC
• worked examples (coral/sea stars; eventually Elston et al grouse tick data, gopher tortoise shell example, simulated examples?)
• software notes (R-centric but open to any platform)
• miscellaneous (to be organized/rearranged later)
• FAQ: draft FAQ for r-sig-mixed-models mailing list
• talks and other material:
  • BMB talk at Harvard Forest, 27 Feb 2009 (PDF, Sweave)
  • BMB talk at McMaster University, 7 May 2009 (PDF, Sweave)
  • other BMB talks on GLMMs are available at slideshare.net
  • notes and materials from a mini-symposium in Trondheim
  • book chapter: rough notes for a book chapter with Fox, Negrete-Yankelevich, and Sosa

Some things that may show up here:

• extended detail on the meta-analysis/lit review we did for the paper
• extended comparison/discussion of available software tools