Book excerpt: MATLAB® Primer for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology provides training and access to MATLAB®, the computational language developed by MathWorks®. While there are MATLAB® textbooks and manuals written for the field of engineering, there are no textbooks targeting allied heath disciplines, particularly speech-language pathology and audiology. Research and practice in this field can greatly benefit from quantification and automation in data management, a domain that is increasingly labor-intensive. The text anticipates and promotes increased reliance on quantification and automation in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. This book is intended for students, practitioners, and researchers in speech-language pathology and audiology who wish to increase their productivity by incorporating and automating common research procedures and data-analysis calculations, or who wish to develop new tools and methods for their own paradigms and data processing. It assumes no prior knowledge of programming, but requires the reader to have a grasp of basic computer skills, such as managing folders, moving files, and navigating file paths and folder structures. Content and style are chosen so as to lower the threshold for an audience who has limited training in computer science. Concepts are presented in a personalized writing style (almost a dialogue with the reader), along with a didactic format similar to programmed instruction, using applications and work assignments that are concrete and manageable. Key features include: * A comprehensive introduction for the user in an effort to limit background knowledge needed to understand the content * Several mathematical review appendices * Exercises for the student to apply skills learned in laboratory and clinical applications Disclaimer: Please note that ancillary content (such documents, audio, and video) may not be included as published in the original print version of this book.