  We present a simple, largely empirical but physically motivated model, which
is designed to interpret consistently multi-wavelength observations from large
samples of galaxies in terms of physical parameters, such as star formation
rate, stellar mass and dust content. Our model is both simple and versatile
enough to allow the derivation of statistical constraints on the star formation
histories and dust contents of large samples of galaxies using a wide range of
ultraviolet, optical and infrared observations. We illustrate this by deriving
median-likelihood estimates of a set of physical parameters describing the
stellar and dust contents of local star-forming galaxies from the Spitzer
Infrared Nearby Galaxy Sample (SINGS) and from a newly-matched sample of SDSS
galaxies observed with GALEX, 2MASS, and IRAS. The model reproduces well the
observed spectral energy distributions of these galaxies across the entire
wavelength range from the far-ultraviolet to the far-infrared. We find
important correlations between the physical parameters of galaxies which are
useful to investigate the star formation activity and dust properties of
galaxies. Our model can be straightforwardly applied to interpret observed
ultraviolet-to-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from any galaxy
sample.
