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Electronic Resources for Research Methods
Quantitative research methods
A huge amount of information on statistical methods is available on the World Wide Web, including several complete text books. The selection below is merely the tip of the iceberg and several will lead you to much richer resources.
- Arsham, Hossein (2002) Statistical data analysis: prove it with statistics. Baltimore, MD: University of Baltimore. Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://home.ubalt.edu/ntsbarsh/stat-data/Topics.htm (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpN6DexL)
"This site offers information on statistical data analysis. It describes time series analysis, popular distributions, and other topics. It examines the use of computers in statistical data analysis. It also lists related books and links to related Web sites."
- Behrens, John T. (1998) Dr. B's data gallery. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University, College of Education, Division of Psychology in Education. Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://research.ed.asu.edu/multimedia/data.gal/Default.htm (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpNQg55i)
Another part of The Statistical Instruction Internet Palette, offering various graphical representations of statistical data.
- Dear, Keith, and others. (n.d.)Surfstat.australia. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://surfstat.anu.edu.au/surfstat-home/surfstat.html (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpNpCnQc)
"The SurfStat project started in 1994 with the brave but naive intent of making an existing set of course notes available online as hypertext. It has since grown to include an extensive glossary, interactive exercises, JavaScript functions replacing statistical probability tables, and the beginnings of a set of Java applets demonstrating statistical concepts through dynamic graphics. It is the primary learning resource for students taking STAT101 at the University of Newcastle, Australia.
The original course notes were written by Annette Dobson in 1987, and updated over several years' use by Anne Young, Bob Gibberd and others. "
- Goodman, Albert (1999) Introduction to data collection and analysis. Clayton, VIC: Deaking University, School of Computing and Mathematics.
A course text for SCI101 in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Deakin University
- GraphPad Software, Inc. InStat guide to choosing and interpreting statistical tests. San Diego, CA: GraphPad Software, Inc.
GraphPad InStat is a statistical analysis package, this is its on-line manual. "GraphPad InStat is designed to help the experimental or clinical scientist analyze small amounts of data. Although InStat can do some data manipulation and selection, it is not designed to manage a large database with many variables. InStat works best when you have a single question in mind."
- Grinstead, C. & Snell, J. Laurie Introduction to Probability 2nd ed. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society.
"This text is designed for an introductory probability course at the university level for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in mathematics, physical and social sciences, engineering, and computer science. It presents a thorough treatment of ideas and techniques necessary for a firm understanding of the subject." A downloadable .pdf file. The site also includes links to other resources in probability.
- Helberg, Clay (1995) Pitfalls of data analysis. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 5(5)
"It can be surprising to naive observers that statistics from different research studies concerning the same issue can produce very dissimilar or contradictory results. In order to resolve this paradox, many people conclude that statistics are not actually reliable indicators of reality. Those versed in statistics, however, understand that statistics rely on assumptions. Proceeding from different assumptions, or claiming assumptions which don't apply to the research situation in question can lead to divergent results. This article attempts to warn against the frequent misuses and abuses of statistics. Although these issues are familiar to most statisticians, they can be easily overlooked. These problems can be considered in three broad classes of statistical pitfalls: sources of bias, errors in methodology, and misinterpretation of results. "
- Israel, Glenn D. Using secondary data for needs assessment. Gainesville, FL: Florida State University, Cooperative Extension Service.
"...The focus of this fact sheet is on how existing secondary data can be used for identifying needs.
Basically, secondary data is data that is collected by someone other than yourself. The data may be a compilation of records or the results of surveys that are conducted by other agencies. For example, birth and death statistics are based on medical records. On the other hand, the Census of Agriculture consists of data that was collected through a mail survey of farmers by the U. S. Department of Commerce. Likewise, the data in the Census of Population also is collected by the U.S. Department of Commerce through a mail survey of every household in the country."
- Lane. David M. (2000) HyperStat online. Houston, TX: Rice University, Department of Statistics.
An on-line statistics text and workbook, with many links to related resources.
- Leeuw, Edith de & Nicholls, William (1996) Technological innovations in data collection: acceptance, data quality and costs. Sociological Research Online, vol. 1, no. 4
"Whether computer assisted data collection methods should be used for survey data collection is no longer an issue. Most professional research organizations, commercial, government and academic, are adopting these new methods with enthusiasm. Computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) is most prevalent, and computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) is rapidly gaining in popularity. Also, new forms of electronic reporting of data using computers, telephones and voice recognition technology are emerging. This paper begins with a taxonomy of current computer assisted data collection methods. It then reviews conceptual and theoretical arguments and empirical evidence on such topics as: (1) respondents and interviewer acceptance of new techniques, (2) effect of computer assisted interviewing on data quality, (3) consequences for survey costs and (4) centralized vs. decentralized deployment of CATI."
- Leeuw, Jan de (1997) Statistics: the study of stability in variation. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA, Department of Statistics.
"The UCLA Electronic Statistics Textbook, from now on UCLA-EST, is an attempt to write a statistics textbook which is
- freely available to everyone on the Internet (upload free support programs);
- independent of the level of the student, i.e. useful at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc level;
- interactive, using graphics and demos;
- complete, i.e. it covers most of statistical theory as traditionally taught.
We use the model of a classical statistics textbook to bring together hypertext describing the traditional concepts and techniques of statistics and graphical components illustrating these concepts and techniques.
This particular mix, except for the hypertext, would just be a classical textbook that can be read online. But we also add interactive graphics, demos, and calculators to the mix, and thus we create something with combines a classical textbook with computer software for demonstrations. Ultimately, we also plan to add exercises, examples, glossaries, and instructors manuals."
- Lyons, Larry C. (1998) Meta-analysis: methods of accumulating results across research domains. Manassas, VA: Larry C. Lyons.
"This paper describes the Hunter-Schmidt method of conducting a Meta-Analysis. Meta-analysis is a set of statistical procedures designed to accumulate experimental and correlational results across independent studies that address a related set of research questions. The paper gives a brief description of meta-analysis methods based on procedures suggested by Hunter, Schmidt, and Jackson (1982) and Hunter and Schmidt (1990). It also presents the formulas and procedures needed for converting study statistics to a common metric, calculating the sample weighted mean r and d, and correcting for range restriction and sampling and measurement error."
- National Computer Systems, Inc. (1995/1996) Basic Statistics - Part 1: Know Your Data;
Basic Statistics - Part 2: Descriptive
Statistics; Basic Statistics - Part 3: Advanced Statistics;
Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems, Inc. [Research Notes]
A very basic introduction. Covers types of data: nominal, ordinal and interval; measures of central tendency, of variability and of skewness; and tests of description, comparison and association. Although brief, it is clear and readily understandable. NCS is a data management organization: it is involved, for example, in processing the US Census 2000 data.
- National Computer Systems, Inc. (1996) Confidence levels and confidence intervals. Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems, Inc.
"One of the most important steps in a research project is interpreting the results of data analysis. When you have conducted a survey from a sample, it is important to consider, "how confident are we that the population's true number is close to the value we have."" A brief research note.
- Niles, Robert (n.d.) Statistics every writer should know. Los Angeles, CA: RobertNiles.com.
"So what should you ask a number? Well, mathematicians have developed an entire field - statistics - dedicated to getting answers out of numbers. Now, you don't have to have a degree in statistics in order to conduct an effective "interview" with your data. But you do need to know a few basics.
Here, described in plain English, are some basic concepts in statistics that every writer should know..."
- Pezullo, John C. (2000) Web pages that perform statistical calculations! Fairfax, VA: John C. Pezullo.
"The web pages listed here comprise a powerful, conveniently-accessible, multi-platform statistical software package. There are also links to online statistics books, tutorials, downloadable software, and related resources. All of these resources are freely accessible, once you can get onto the Internet...
These pages are located on servers all over the world, and are the result of much cleverness and hard work on the part of some very talented individuals. So if you find a page useful it would be nice to send the authors a short e-mail expressing your appreciation for their hard work and generosity in making this software freely accessible to the world. Please let me know of any dead links, computational errors, or other problems you might encounter (e-mail me at johnp71@aol.com)."
- Phillips, Dianne (1995) Correspondence analysis. in: Social Research Update, 7. [Published
quarterly by University of Surrey, Department of Sociology]
"Correspondence analysis is primarily a technique for representing the rows and columns of a two way contingency table in a joint plot.
It is by no means a 'new' technique for data analysis... Proponents trace its development from the mid 1930s,... One source of confusion is that correspondence analysis is equivalent to a number of techniques which have appeared in different contexts under different labels. Correspondence factor analysis, principal components analysis of qualitative data and dual scaling are but three of a long list of alternative names..."
- StatSoft, Inc. (1984-2000) Electronic statistics textbook. Tulsa, OK: StatSoft, Inc.
StatSoft Inc., is the producer of Statistica a comprehensive, integrated statistical data analysis, graphics, data base management, and custom application development system. This electronic textbook is a 'public service' initiative by StatSoft and it covers everything from basic statistics to neural nets. An excellent resource.
- Stockburger, David W. Introductory statistics: concepts, models, and applications [Revised 1998] Springfield, MI: Southwest Missouri State University, Psychology Department. Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://www.psychstat.missouristate.edu/IntroBook/sbk00.htm (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpOLXKxm)
"The book, Introductory Statistics: Concepts, Models, and Applications, presented in the following pages represents over twenty years of experience in teaching the material contained therein. The high price of textbooks and a desire to customize course material for my own needs caused me to write this material.
This Web text and associated exercises is a continuing project. Check back often for updates. Anticipated changes in later editions include more interactive exercises, animated examples of the use of statistical packages, and inclusion of statistical packages other than SPSS/WIN. All references to statistical packages and output will be placed in separate files so they may be updated without changing the text."
- Swinscow, T.D.V. (1997) Statistics at square one, 9th ed. rev. by M.J. Campbell. London: BMJ Publishing Group. Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://www.bmj.com/collections/statsbk/ (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpOg6ok6)
Web version of "one of the best selling statistical text books in the UK. ... I chose to retain the format and structure of the original book. Most of the original examples remain; they are realistic, if not real, and tracking down the original sources to provide references would be impossible."
- Wainer, Howard (n.d.) How to display data badly. Honover, NH: Dartmouth College, Mathematics Department.
One of the 'Chance' Workshop sessions held by the Maths. Department of Dartmouth College, as part of its Chance Program - more videos and audio clips on the site.
Related software
Other guides to statistical software include: Home pages of statistical software, from Academic Computing and Instructional Technology Services at the University of Texas, Austin; and Statistics resources on the Web - software information, from the CTI Statistics site at the University of Glasgow. (This CTI site is being replaced and although the resouce will be maintained, it is not known for how long this will happen.
- Analyse-It Software, Ltd. (2000) Analyse-it. Leeds: Analyse-It Software, Ltd.
Low cost (£95.00) package which integrates with Excel and provides a range of statistical procedures including ANOVA & regression. Free trial download available.
- Analytical Group Inc.(2000) WinCross crosstabulation software. Chicago, IL: Analytical Group Inc.
Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://www.analyticalgroup.com/wincross.html (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpPhC3cs)
"WinCross™ is simply the most advanced crosstab software available. It’s designed for inexperienced analysts who simply want to identify various data relationships, as well as for experienced tab spec writers who need flexibility and advanced features. WinCross now includes built-in charting for your tables along with many other compelling features that make use of the latest technologies and techniques."
- Dataxiom Software Inc.(1999) StatMost
Los Angeles, CA: Dataxiom Software Inc.
"Whether you need in-depth analysis or publication-quality graphics, StatMost is the complete statistical software solution. StatMost provides a full range of statistical and numerical analyses. The program also delivers over eighty 2D and 3D statistical, scientific, and business plots and charts that you can easily customize."
- Dataxiom Software Inc.(1999) XPro
Los Angeles, CA: Dataxiom Software Inc.
"Based on 'exact' methods and the power of current computer technologies, XPro software is able to detect significant and nonsignificant experimental results even with small sample sizes. XPro is used by commercial, academic and government statisticians to perform the most powerful parametric statistical inference in applications such as Regression, ANOVA Fixed/Mixed Effects Models, Repeated Measures Models, and Growth Curve Models. "
- Microtab, Inc. (n.d.) Microtab version 7 cross tabulation software. Roswell, GA: Microtab, Inc. Retrieved 3rd August, 2008 from http://www.microtab.com/software.htm (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZpPuoUfc)
"All Microtab Software contains powerful tools for the marketing research professional. Our cross tabulation software includes modules for data entry/editing, data manipulation, conversion, tabulation and evaluation. Our capabilities provide the researcher with a powerful and complete combination of features. However, these packages are designed so they always retain their wonderful ease of use."
- NCSS Statistical Software (n.d.) NCSS 2000 Statistical analysis system. Kaysville, UT: NCSS Statistical Software.
"Since 1981 NCSS has specialized in providing statistical analysis software to the occassional user of statistics. Our current release, NCSS 2000, is
comprehensive, easy to use, and runs under Windows 95/98/NT."
- Pezzullo, John C. (1999)Web pages that perform statistical calculations. Fairfax, VA: John C. Pezzullo.
"The web pages listed here comprise a powerful, conveniently-accessible, multi-platform statistical software package. There are also links to online statistics books, tutorials, downloadable software, and related
resources."
- Provalis Research. (1997) SIMSTAT for Windows. Montreal, QC: Provalis Research.
"Simstat for Windows is an innovative product that goes beyond mere statistical analysis. It offers output management features not found in any other program as well as its own scripting language to automate statistical analysis and to write small applications, interactive tutorials with multimedia capabilities, as well as computer assisted interviewing systems."
- SPSS Inc. (2000) SPSS Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.
SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is no longer a single program - this is the home page for the company and links need to be followed to find out about the full range of statistical analysis products now available.
- TexasSoft. (1999) WINKS: statistics and data analysis made easy. Cedar Hill, TX: TexasSoft.
"WINKS allows you to easily enter data, perform statistical analyses, and get your answers quickly. Available for Windows 3.1, 95, 98 and NT, our users like WINKS because they can use it without having to relearn it every time. They like how it simplifies data entry, leads you through an analysis without a lot of complex options, and helps you interpret your results."
- TexasSoft. (1999) KWIKSTAT 4.1 - statistical data analysis for DOS. Cedar Hill, TX: TexasSoft.
"KWIKSTAT 4.1 Basic Edition allows you to analyze and graph business and scientific data. KWIKSTAT was a 1992 SIA winner for "Best Mathematical or Engineering Program." It was created by and is maintained and supported by professional statistical consultants. Over 12,000 registered copies have been sold in 60+ countries. "
- University of Leeds. Information Systems Services (1999)
Getting started with SPSS for Windows 13
Leeds: University of Leeds, Information Systems Services.
Note that some of the instructions will be specific to the University of Leeds campus network.
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