Calculators

A polar rose made with a TI-83 Plus calculator

Image via Wikipedia

There are hundreds on interactive statistics calculators online. Chances are, if you’re looking for one, it’s because you don’t have SPSS, SAS, or Systat and you need a quick and simple solution. Here are a few easy calculators that will meet most of the basic needs a market researcher may have.

If you’re already fairly familiar with how statistics work, try this site from Evan Miller or this site from Social Science Statistics.  If you need something a little more straightforward, the following sites will suit your needs.

Chi-Square

To determine if the percentage for one group of people is significantly different from the percentage for another group of people.
Example: If 38% of men like nanaimo bars and 43% of women like nanaimo bars, is that difference statistically significant?
Do one here: GraphPad QuickCalcs

T-Test

To determine if the average value for one group of people is significantly different from the average value for another group of people.
Example: If squirrels eat an average of 12.4 peanuts per day and bluejays eat an average of 7.8 peanuts per day, is that difference statistically significant?
Do one here: GraphPad QuickCalcs

Sample size

Statistics are highly dependent on sample sizes. You could find a very large difference between groups that isn’t statistically significant just because the sample size isn’t large enough. But, don’t think that just because a tiny difference is  significant with a sample size of a million doesn’t mean that it’s a meaningful difference.
Example: If 30% of researchers like buttertarts and 38% of marketers like buttertarts, what sample size will I need to confirm this is a statistically significant difference?
Do one here: DSS Research Calculator

Effect Size

Is the difference between two average numbers meaningful? Being statistically significant is insufficient to say if the difference is important.
Example:  Let’s assume children can eat an average of 17.4 macaroons and adults can eat an average of 17.6 macaroons, and that difference is statistically significant. Is the difference of 0.2 macaroons a meaningful difference? (And I hope you don’t need a calculator to conclude for yourself that this is NOT an important difference.)
Do one here: Daniel Soper

Random Number generator

Exhaustive lists for the statistically insane:

StatPages
Daniel Soper collection
GraphPad Software
easy calculation
Educypedia

One response

  1. cool …we have the same interest on this…i’m from indonesia…i learn statistics too… awsome …. links

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