Getting started with Jamovi

Introduction

The aim of this OpenLearn course is to provide a step-by-step introduction to some of the most commonly used statistics in the social sciences, alongside one piece of software that is increasingly being used to carry out these analyses: Jamovi. This course is designed for students, researchers, tutors, and professionals who are new to both statistics and statistical software.

For many learners, statistics can feel intimidating… either because they have had little previous experience with data analysis, or because they are concerned about the maths involved. These interactive tutorials are designed to help you become familiar with the basic statistical techniques commonly used in research, while building your confidence and reducing any anxieties you may have about studying statistics.

The good news is that, in modern social science research, very little statistical analysis is carried out by hand. Instead, statistical software performs most of the calculations for us. In this course, we use Jamovi: a free, open-source, and user-friendly statistical software package designed to make data analysis more accessible and intuitive.

In recent years, Jamovi has become more and more popular across the social sciences, health sciences, and education sectors due to its zero-cost model, transparency, accessibility, and ease of use. Unlike some traditional statistical software packages, Jamovi can be used across a wide range of devices and operating systems, including Chromebooks and tablets, and it offers improved accessibility features such as compatibility with screen readers. As a result, it is particularly well suited to teaching and learning environments.

While statistical software can reduce the amount of manual calculation required, learning how to use a new programme can sometimes feel like an additional challenge. These tutorials have therefore been developed to guide you through Jamovi step by step, helping you learn both the fundamentals of the software and the statistical concepts behind the analyses. You do not need any prior experience with statistics or Jamovi to complete this course.

Throughout the course, you will take part in a series of practical activities and tutorials. These will introduce you to the basics of navigating Jamovi, managing and exploring data, carrying out descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, and interpreting your results. By the end of the course, you will have developed the confidence to apply statistical techniques to real-world data using Jamovi.

This course is intended for a wide audience. It may be particularly useful for:

• students beginning a research methods or statistics module
• tutors supporting students in quantitative methods
• researchers interested in switching to open-source statistical tools
• professionals seeking accessible and cost-effective data analysis software.

The course also supports the growing move towards open-source statistical software within higher education. As institutions increasingly transition from proprietary software packages to accessible open-source alternatives, Jamovi provides an effective and pedagogically suitable platform for teaching and learning statistics.

Other statistical software packages are also available for carrying out quantitative research and data analysis. The Open University does not endorse any particular software package, and the links below are provided simply to illustrate some of the alternatives available. (When clicking on links, open them in a new tab or window so that you can refer back to the course when you are ready.)

• IBM SPSS Statistics [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
• The R Project for Statistical Computing
• SAS Statistical Software
• Minitab Statistical Software