This workshop was conducted by Ms. Julia Polak – Statistical Consulting Service and focused on choosing the right statistical tools depending on the nature of the research and the data set. The session incorporated a demonstration of the 3 common data analysis tools : MS Excel, SPSS and R and discussion about their strengths and limitations.
Date: Wednesday 4 May, 2016
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Venue: Rm 340, Level 3, 9 Rainforest Walk, Clayton
The session was invaluable to my current candidature as I am required to do some statistical analysis of user-generated log data at the preliminary stages of my research. So having some know-how of tools which can make this preliminary analysis more efficient & swift would be of tremendous benefit.
Some of the interesting points from the session included how to address the issue of data portability across applications, the graphical abilities of the specific tools, the click-and-point interface option and the differing learning curves for each tool.
The extension of my knowledge of MS Excel functions(Data Analysis, Solver & Goal Seek) was also very enlightening. We also familiarized ourselves with the main idea/usage and the interface of SPSS and R; and were also advised on how to locate help resources for each of the tools and their packages.
Overall, the session was very enlightening and I look forward to applying this knowledge in the very immediate future.
