Quantitative research software for analysis : Getting started

Quantitative research software for analysis : Getting started

STATA

STATA is an interactive data analysis program, which runs on a variety of platforms. It can be used to enter and edit interactively data, and for both simple and complex statistical analysis

The whole data analysis in STATA is pivoted around four windows mentioned below:

1) Command window
2) Review window
3) Result window
4) Variable window

Researcher can enter commands in the Command Window. The Review Window records your commands, which can be repeated by double clicking on it in the REVIEW window. It will then reappear in the COMMAND window and just have to hit return to re-enter the command. The VARIABLES window lists the variables available in the current data set along with the variable labels. The big window that pops up when you open STATA is called the RESULTS window. The Results window is the Log Window and all of the results will appear here. Researcher can cut and paste from this window to other applications but you cannot print directly from this window.

SPSS

Statistical package for social science (SPSS) is the most popular quantitative analysis software used today in social research. SPSS is a comprehensive and flexible statistical analysis and data management system. SPSS can take data from almost any type of file and use them to generate tabulated reports, charts, and plots of distributions and trends, descriptive statistics, and conduct complex statistical analyses. Besides, it is available from several platforms; Windows, Macintosh, and the UNIX systems.
SPSS for Windows provides a user interface that makes statistical analysis more intuitive for all levels of users. Simple menus and dialog box selections make it possible to perform complex analyses without typing a single line of command syntax. The built-in SPSS Data Editor offers a simple and efficient spreadsheet-like utility for entering data and browsing the working data file.

SAS

As one of the more widely used general-purpose software products, the SAS Sys-
tem is the ideal tool to use in survey research applications.

The beauty of the SAS System is that it enables an intermediate-level user, who
developed skill through on-the-job training or nonformal instruction, to perform
complex data analyses, data/file manipulation, and report-writing tasks in less time
than the formally trained computer science graduate would require using basic lan-
guages.