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Multilevel modelling - how long to learn?


User: Selkie - 15 January 2017 21:11

Hello everyone,

Does anyone use multilevel modelling, and could you give me an idea of how long it took you to learn it? I'm particularly interested to hear ideas on how long it might take to learn with very little stats background? Or how thoroughly you need to understand it to be able to use it. I'm using R.
There aren't any courses at my uni or that run in the timeframe I need, so I'm teaching myself at the moment with online materials and books, but my progress is slow.

Thanks very much for any responses!

User: Tudor_Queen - 15 January 2017 22:02

Hi Selkie

Do you know how to run linear regression? It is very similar conceptually (in fact another name for it is mixed regression). If you understand multiple regression then it quite easy to take the next step to multilevel models.

There are enough materials available online to teach yourself (I taught myself in the latter part of last year). But how long it will take you probably will depend on your general stats knowledge. And how long it takes for you to successfully implement it in your analysis will definitely depend on the complexity of your design (e.g., how many levels, how many fixed and random effects, etc). Mine was very simple.

Tudor

User: Selkie - 16 January 2017 21:13

HI Tudor,

Thanks very much for the response. I'm trying to understand multiple regression at the moment. I think my model may be quite complex, and it may have several levels. Hopefully I'll get there in the end though!

Selkie