Topic: One-Variable Statistics in Fathom
Since I sensed some extreme discomfort with calculating one-variable statistics using spreadsheets and Fathom, I think that another day of exploration is necessary. My apologies to those who have been able to figure things out.
First, let's create a simple spreadsheet of data. Complete this survey to help us compile enough data to analyze. I think that I'll explore the capabilities of Google spreadsheets. Feel free to follow along, or use Open Office instead.
Using formulas, it should be easy to find the measures of central tendency and spread. We'll work through each one. You may be surprised to find that some of the easier measures are harder to determine. Lastly, we'll explore how to calculate the measures of datum location (deviation, z-scores, percentiles) using a spreadsheet.
Next, we'll repeat the calculations in Fathom. Before we do, it is important to learn how to easily bring spreadsheet data into Fathom. I'll show you how to create a simple file that can easily imported. This will be important when you are dealing with massive amounts of data on your final project.
Lastly, we'll try to create some different graphs to describe our alligator data. We'll look at a histogram and a box plot.
Your homework is to repeat all of the above with some one-variable data in your survey (or mine). Some of you have already done this in a spreadsheet - repeat the process in Fathom.
Hello Mr. Shaddick. I found a pdf file that is a walkthrough for Fathom. I found it helpful for myself, and hopefully it will help other classmates.
http://keycurriculumpress.com/documents/fathom/LearnFathom/Fathom2_WalkthroughGuide.pdf
Posted by: Data Management Student | February 23, 2011 at 01:58 PM