Data is currently the ‘new oil’ or a very hot commodity, and understanding the patterns and trends of data is now one of the focal areas of giant corporations. There are several data analytics tools, and choosing the right one may be challenging for new users. SPSS, which stands for Statistical Package for Social Sciences, is a beginner-friendly and user-friendly computer application for entering, analysing and visualising categorical and numerical data. It helps filter and model data into useful information.

This free online course examines the basics of statistics. You will learn about population and sample, types of variables, scales of measurement, shapes of data, and the selection of sample sizes. In addition, you will be introduced to SPSS software and learn how to make data entries and to distinguish between the data view, variable view, and fields in it. Next, we show you how to scrutinise the features of a dataset via summary statistics. We examine measures of tendency, measures of location, measures of dispersion and more.

Further, we will highlight exploratory data analysis (EDA) and data visualisation techniques. Learn to visualise categorical and numerical data with graphical representations, which include bar charts, pie charts, histograms and boxplots. We will also examine data management. Learn to transform data, recode variables, and sort data with SPSS. The last section will cover the basic concepts of hypothesis, analysis of variance, correlation and regression analysis, MANOVA (multivariate analysis of variance), and ordinal data analysis with SPSS. Enrol now: no registration, subscription or completion fees. Optional certificate available.