10-bayes-coda.Rmd

# Coda

How can we use new data to change what we currently believe? As ecologists we often make decisions in the face of uncertainty and incomplete information. Bayesian inference offers a framework for incrementally accruing scientific knowledge by explicitly building on the conclusions of previous knowledge.

However, despite the attraction in using Bayesian inference to tackle ecological questions, there are many pitfalls to its implementation. Sovereign against many of these problems is transparency; clearly reporting how priors were obtained, why they are specified as they are, careful description of their impacts, and presentation of sensitivity analyses. Ultimately, Bayesian methods do not offer a panacea, but they are a valuable tool for the ecologist that encourages full use of the available data - whatever form those data take.

We hope this book is useful in extending your understanding of Bayesian data analysis with R. We are always interested to receive feedback; positive or negative, and also welcome questions about your own analyses; feel free to email us.