Anyone into statistics??

[A80Avant]

need some help getting my head around a few things for a study...

let me know
thanks
vas

[Dan]

I have a *basic* knowledge of stats

What is it you're struggling with? I'll see if I can help or if I'm out of my depth too...

[A80Avant]

i am not sure if it will be easier to send you an excel sheet with some data along with a short email explaining what i need, rather than writing everything here!

its a non parametric/descriptive statistic i need to do, and already know that i have to use Cohen's Kappa, but i have now some data collected which i can use as a pilot and would like to calculate the power and sample size. It seems though that when dealing with descriptive and interrater observations its not that simple....

if you pm me your email, i can send something through for you!

thanks
vas

[Nuvo]

I think DamianURS4 is a statistician. Try dropping him a message.

[Dan]

I think DamianURS4 is a statistician. Try dropping him a message.

^ if that's the case, probably best trying him first - he'll know more than I.

[A80Avant]

ok,ill pm him!
cheers
vasilis

[DeanG]

non parametric stats

Don't use non parametric statistic very much and don't know about Cohen's Kappa. The stat functions in Excel are fairly limited and you might find it easier to use one the statistical packages.

We use a scripting language called R at work, which provides about any statistical function you will ever need. You can pass the data from Excel to R and then get it back from R for presentation in Excel, although often this is not needed. R is completely free as it's open source software and is widely used amongst academic and in financial communities.

This might be a useful link:

http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/non...ic-statistics/

[A80Avant]

great link! thanks!

[andy10v]

Another piece of statistical analysis software is Minitab, we used to use it an Uni, it is not free however you can download if for a free 30 day trial which might be enough depending on what you are doing. Not as intuitively user friendly as excel though, it is however much more powerful.

I am afraid we never did Cohen's Kappa, seemed like we did everything else at the time though

[A80Avant]

typical! i have to do something not usually used...

i know minitab, spss and medcalc. Im probably going to buy the medcalc through the hospital as guess what, the hospital does not carry a statistical software for us to use for research... as if universities only do research.... anyway..