This special issue contains seventeen articles on using microcomputers to perform statistical analysis. Programs reviewed are: BMDPC (1985 release), P-STAT-8 (version 1.18), SPSS/PC (version 1.1) and SYSTAT (version 2.0). Included are comparative reviews, author rebuttals, and an article which provides insight into teaching an introductory survey…

Demonstrates the value of spreadsheets for teaching sociology using Lotus 1 2 3 as an example. Shows how a Cholesky factorization, an eigenstructure solution, a correlation analysis, and a discriminant analysis may be performed using a spreadsheet or a BASIC program (included). (BSR)

Briefly reviews history of social science data processing and argues that most social science computing has involved adapting technologies developed in other disciplines. Shows how changing computer technology shapes social science data collection and analysis techniques. Concludes that the nature of the microcomputer may again encourage…

This paper describes a personal computer spreadsheet set up to carry out hierarchical log-linear analyses, a type of analysis useful for institutional research into multidimensional frequency tables formed from categorical variables such as faculty rank, student class level, gender, or retention status. The spreadsheet provides a concrete vehicle…

Reports the results of a national survey of academic psychologists relative to the use of microcomputers. Finds that there is an increase in the use of microcomputers for instructional purposes and that such use was unrelated to department size. Discusses the brands of computers most often used and the ways software is utilized. (KO)

Presents a framework for using spreadsheet software (Lotus 1 2 3) on a microcomputer to develop statistical procedure templates for teaching statistical concepts. Provides an overview of traditional computer-based statistical applications, an outline for teaching-oriented statistical applications with illustrations, and suggestions for integrating…

Discusses several ways in which computers are being used in sociology and how they continue to change this discipline. Areas considered include data collection, data analysis, simulations of social processes based on mathematical models, and problem areas (including standardization concerns, training, and the financing of computing facilities).…

Describes an expert system microcomputer-based program, ZEERA, which is designed to help users understand and perform statistical analyses. Computer-assisted instruction and the traditional approach of drill and practice are discussed, and benefits of using ZEERA are described based on testing in a university elementary statistics course. (11…

Examines the contents and objectives of various statistical computing courses that could be designed to meet the appropriate data analytic and statistical needs of a variety of professionals. Highlights include a definition of statistical computing; statistical methods; data analysis; and the design and construction of statistical computer…

Intended for classroom use only, these unpublished notes contain computer lessons on descriptive statistics with files previously created in WordPerfect 4.2 and Lotus 1-2-3 Version 1.A for the IBM PC+. The statistical measures covered include Student's t-test with two independent samples; Student's t-test with a paired sample; Chi-square analysis;…

This guide for using Minitab requires DOS version 2.0 or greater, 512K RAM memory, two double-sided diskette drives, and a graphics monitor. Topics covered in the tutorial are Getting started; Installation; Making a data diskette; Entering data; Central tendency and dispersion; t-test; Chi-square test; Oneway ANOVA test; Twoway ANOVA test; and…

Describes system developed at Bennett College for recording grades on a spreadsheet that allows multi-user access for updating student test scores. The interaction between spreadsheets, user-developed statistics programs, and word processing documents is discussed, and a process for using spreadsheet data in a BASIC statistics program is…

Describes a personal computer and LAN-based automated circulation system capable of handling both Arabic and Latin characters that was developed for use at King Abdullaziz University (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). Outlines system requirements, system structure, hardware needs, and individual functional modules of the system. Numerous examples and flow…

Technological advances in microcomputer hardware and software, including size of memory and increasingly more sophisticated statistical application packages, create a new era in educational research. The alternative to costly main-frame computer data processing and statistical analysis is explored in this paper. In the first section, typical…

The use of Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS), a type of microcomputer application software, to analyze open-ended survey questions is discussed. Using open-ended questions allows researchers to ask respondents to express themselves freely about their attitudes and beliefs. This approach also can elicit a precise answer even though the…