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Statistical Software

Select and learn appropriate statistical software for your research project

Choosing a Statistical Software

There are a variety of statistical software on the market, each with its own advantages, disadvantages and special features. When choosing a statistical software for your project, consider the following questions:

Can I use this software for free or do I need to pay for it?)
Does this software work with my computer’s operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux)?
Does this software use a Graphical User Interface (GUI) or Command Line (CL)? Do I prefer one over the other?
Does this software support the specific tasks I need to accomplish (e.g. data cleaning, regression, classification, clustering, etc.)?

Software at SJSU

Software

Interface

Operating System

Availability

Learning Curve

Access

Excel

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Windows, Mac

Faculty, staff and students

Gradual

http://its.sjsu.edu/services/

software/#microsoft

Qualtrics

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Web application (any operating system)

Faculty, staff and students

Gradual

http://www.sjsu.edu/ecampus/

researchtools/qualtrics/index.html

SPSS

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Windows, Mac

Faculty, staff and students

Gradual

http://its.sjsu.edu/services/

SAS

Command Line (CL)

Windows

Faculty

Steep

http://its.sjsu.edu/services/

R

Command Line (CL) + RStudio (Integrated Development Environment)

Windows, Mac

Faculty, staff and students

Steep

mirror.las.iastate.edu/CRAN/

https://www.rstudio.com/products/

rstudio/download/#download

MATLAB

Command Line (CL)

Windows, Mac

Faculty, staff and students in select departments

Steep

Select departments and computer labs—contact your department for more information