LibGuides: Maths and Stats Support: Don't know what test you need?

Choosing the right statistical techniques

Students often struggle to identify the right statistical test for their data. On this page you can access an interactive test chooser, and some resources summarising terminology for statistics tests and the most common techniques. It may be helpful to read the terminology resource first and write down some clear research questions you want to answer using your data. You may need different tests for each aspect of your research question.

Which stats test - Sage Research Methods

This interactive resource is part of the Sage Research Methods resource. Go to Which Stats Test and answer a handful of multiple-choice questions to find out which statistical method is best for your data.

Downloadable resources

These resources provide help in choosing key statistical tests.

Test Chooser terminology
This resource explains the key terminology needed for choosing the right test
Key statistical techniques
This resource contains a table and flow chart of the key techniques used
Choosing the right summary statistics - presentation
Explanation of the use of descriptive statistics to check for normality in a sample and the impact of outliers.
Advanced statistical techniques
This resource covers a wider range of statistical techniques including reliability and data mining techniques