Data Services: Data Analysis

Excel - easy to use for basic data analysis.  Provides good charting and graphing.  Even if you plan to use another tool for statistical analysis, Excel can provide an easy way to enter your data.

• Excel for Statistical Analysis - Hoonuit video training in Excel data functions
• Excel training documents - beginner's guides to Excel (and other Microsoft office tools)
• Description Statistics Online Training - guide to using Excel for statistical analysis.  Also has some basics about R and Stata.

SPSS (or the freeware version PSPP) - has a graphical user interface.  It is somewhat like Excel, but provide buttons and widgets to do basic and advanced statistics.  Procedures can be saved as scripts and used with additional datasets

• Getting Started with SPSS for Windows - introductory tutorial covers the interface and data preparation
• SPSS Syntax - a web site with cookbook examples of scripts to perform many SPSS tasks
• Importing Excel data into SPSS

Stata- statistical analysis with enhanced data and matrix manipulation.  In between SPSS and SAS in difficulty of use.

• Princeton Stata tutorial - covers the interface, data management, graphics and programming.  Good for starting out.
• UCLA resources - a collection of examples and tutorials for Stata

SAS - combines data management with statistical programming.  It is good for complex datasets, but may be challenging for beginners.

• SAS Tutorial - by Dwight Galster has screen shots and videos
• UCLA SAS resources - a collection of examples and tutorials for SAS
• SAS documentation - from the makers of SAS

R - free statistical programming language.  Very popular in many fields.

• Data Camp's introduction to R - covers the basics of the language
• UCLA R resources - a collection of examples and tutorials for the R language.
• R tutorial - covers the language basics then moves into basic statistical analysis  

MATLAB (or the free version Octave) - statistical programming language with good graphic output.  Also used in engineering and other sciences.

• Matlab tutorials - covers the basis of Matlab and introductory statistics
• Mathworks - the official documentation for Matlab

Minitab - general purpose statistical software for easy interactive use and basic instruction

Amos - estimates structural equation models for manifest and latent variables.  

NVivo - qualitative analysis software that handles data that is not numeric such as text documents, audio files and pictures.

• QSR - video tutorials for NVivo. PDF tutorial for NVivo8
• Using NVivo for a liturature review
• Planning and Organizing your NVivo project  - video

ArcGIS - a tool for geographic analysis.  Available (free) for student computers and at several labs around campus.

ERDAS - suite of remote sensing analysis tools.  Includes IMAGINE and LPS.

Data can be evaluated the same way that articles are evaluated.

The CRAAP test is a five part tool to help you determine if a source of data is worth using.

Currency: the timeliness of the information

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
• Are the links functional?

Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

Authority: the source of the information

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
• What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?


•      examples: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government),
                 .org (nonprofit organization), or .net (network)

Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content, and

• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: the reason the information exists

• What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

The CRAAP test was developed by librarians at California State University, Chico.