You can download a range of statistical software that is used at the University of Manchester on the IT support Statistics & Qualitative Methods Products page. The most popular software packages are highlighted in this section.
IBM SPSS Statistics is computer software that supports the statistical analysis of data. It allows for in-depth data access and preparation, analytical reporting, graphics and modelling.
The University of Manchester has a site wide licence for SPSS.
SPSS Licence codes are available from IT Services applications page (requires VPN off campus).
How to access SPSS without downloading it
The University's new Remote PC service enables students to remotely connect to PCs in computer clusters without needing to be on campus, allowing you access to the cluster software.
Guides for using SPSS to analyse data
Stata statistical software is a complete, integrated statistical software package that provides everything you need for data analysis, data management, and graphics. Stata is not sold in modules, which means you get everything you need in one package.
The University of Manchester has a site wide licence for Stata.
NVivo is designed for researchers who need to combine subtle coding with qualitative linking, shaping and modelling. A fine-detailed analyser, NVivo integrates the processes of interpretation and focused questioning. Rich text records are freely edited and coded and linked with multimedia. A project starts as soon as ideas start. NVivo enables you to take qualitative inquiry beyond coding and retrieval, supporting fluid interpretation and theory emergence.
Further support:
SAS is an extremely powerful, comprehensive and flexible package for the integrated management and statistical analysis of data. It is marketed as an information delivery system, and widely used in research, the public sector, finance, industry and commerce.
Some users find SAS a difficult package to use because of its language. SAS statements are very short and concise, and are written in free format. They must be ordered in logical steps. DATA steps are used to input and manipulate data, while PROC steps are used to analyse data. Data must be read into a temporary or permanent SAS data set before they can be analysed.
SAS contains a wide range of methods with many options, and is the best package for complex data. However, due to it's complexity, there is limited local support for the package.
Further support:
R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. It compiles and runs on a wide variety of UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS. It is a derivative of S which was developed at Bell Labs. As such it is a relative of S-Plus which is a marketed and packaged version of S.
Further support:
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