Research

Research Tools - Software Packages

This section of our site outlines some of the software packages currently available on the market:

SPSS is a supplier of analytical software to the public sector. Their expertise covers the whole range of analytical requirements that a modern health organisation might have. From simple descriptive reporting to advanced medical research. SPSS are able to help in all areas of research, either providing the easy to use software and appropriate training for use by employees, or perhaps consultancy expertise for the more in-depth, advanced projects or of course a mixture of both.
Some of the techniques provided by SPSS, and already successfully used by healthcare organisations across the UK and the world include:

  • Descriptive statistics: means, counts, cross-tabs, chi-square statistics
  • Anova: general linear modelling
  • Decision tree technology: CHAID, QUEST
  • Regression: plain linear or advanced logistic
  • Life tables: Kaplan Meier
  • Neural networks: rule induction
  • Cluster analysis: k-means, kohonen

For further examples of how SPSS can be used in a health care and related setting please see: example 1 and example2.

Some tips on how to best develop your survey using SPSS (PDF 369KB).

Reference Management
A site with reviews, free demos and tutorials covering various reference managing software.

Reference Manager
A number of referencing tools are available from reference manager including:

  • Online Reference Searcher
  • Database Manager
  • Web Publisher
  • Bibliography Builder
  • Easy Reference Sharing

Visit their website for free trial download.

N6 is the most recent version (2000) of the "NUD*IST" series. It is one of a number of qualitative data analysis software packages. For further information and free downloads visit their website.

NVivo is another qualitative data analysis software. To assess what it is like to work in NVivo, get a Free Demo. Introductory handbooks can be downloaded in PDF from Online Materials.

The Ethnograph v5.0 is a versatile computer program designed to make the analysis of data collected during qualitative research easier, more efficient, and more effective. For further information please explore their website.


Scottish School of Primary Care