Minitab Quick Guide

Minitab 18

Minitab®

Access Minitab Web, using Google Chrome  .

Click on the section to view the Minitab procedures.

After saving the Minitab File to your computer or cloud location, you must first open Minitab.

  • On the home screen of Minitab Web choose the repository where your file is stored. If you downloaded the file from Canvas, it is most likely stored locally on your computer. [Choose > ‘Open Local File’]. 
    OR
  • If you have already started a Minitab project, then choose the ‘Add/Open + ‘ icon on the left-hand side to upload a file.
Descriptive, graphical
  • Bar Chart: Graph > Bar Chart > Counts of unique values > One Variable
  • Pie Chart: Graph > Pie Chart > Counts of unique values > Select Options > Under Label Slices With choose Percent
Descriptive, numerical
  • Frequency Tables: Stat > Tables > Tally Individual Variables
Inference (one proportion)

Hypothesis Test

  • With raw data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1 Proportion > Select variable > Check Perform hypothesis test and enter null value > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative > Under method, choose Normal approximation
  • With summarized data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1 Proportion > Choose Summarized data from the dropdown menu > Enter data > Check Perform hypothesis test and enter null value > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative > Under method, choose Normal approximation

Confidence Interval

  • With raw data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1 Proportion > Select variable > Select Options tab > Enter correct confidence level, make sure the alternative is set as not-equal, and choose Normal approximation method
Descriptive, graphical
  • Histogram: Graph > Histogram > Simple
  • Dotplot: Graph > Dotplot > One Y, Simple
  • Boxplot: Graph > Boxplot > One Y, Simple
Descriptive, numerical
  • Mean, Std. Dev., 5-number Summary, etc.: Stat > Basic Statistics > Display Descriptive Statistics > Select Statistics tab to choose exactly what you want to display
Inference (one mean)

Hypothesis Test

  • With raw data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1-Sample t > Select variable > Check Perform hypothesis test and enter null value > Select Options tab > Choose the correct alternative
  • With summarized data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1-Sample t > Select Summarized data from the dropdown menu > Enter data (n, x-bar, s) > Check Perform hypothesis test and enter null value > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative

Confidence Interval

  • With raw data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1-Sample t > Select variable > Select Options tab > Enter correct confidence level and make sure the alternative is set as not-equal
  • With summarized data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 1-Sample t > Select Summarized data from the dropdown menu > Enter data (n, x-bar, s) > Select Options tab > Enter correct confidence level and make sure the alternative is set as not-equal
Descriptive, graphical
  • Side-by-side Histograms: Graph > Histogram > Under One Y Variable, select Groups Displayed Separately > Enter the categorical variable under Group Variables > Choose In separate panels of one graph under Display Groups
  • Side-by-side Dotplots: Graph > Dotplot > One Y Variable, Groups Displayed on the Scale
  • Side-by-side Boxplots: Graph > Boxplot > One Y, With Categorical Variables
Descriptive, numerical
  • Mean, Std. Dev., 5-number Summary, etc.: Stat > Basic Statistics > Display Descriptive Statistics > Select variables (enter the categorical variable under By variables) > Select Statistics tab to choose exactly what you want to display
Inference (independent samples)

Hypothesis Test

  • With raw data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 2-Sample t > Select variables (response/quantitative as Samples and explanatory/categorical as Sample IDs) > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative
  • With summarized data: Stat > Basic Statistics > 2-Sample t > Select Summarized data from the dropdown menu > Enter data > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative

Confidence Interval

  • Same as above, choose confidence level and make sure the alternative is set as not-equal
Inference (paired difference)

Hypothesis Test

  • Stat > Basic Statistics > Paired t > Enter correct columns in Sample 1 and Sample 2 boxes > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative

Confidence Interval

  • Same as above, choose confidence level and make sure the alternative is set as not-equal
Descriptive, graphical
  • Scatterplot: Graph > Scatterplot > Simple > Enter the response variable under Y variables and the explanatory variable under X variables
  • Fitted Line Plot: Stat > Regression > Fitted Line Plot > Enter the response variable under Response (y) and the explanatory variable under Predictor (x)
Descriptive, numerical
  • Correlation: Stat > Basic Statistics > Correlation > Select Graphs tab > Click Statistics to display on plot and select Correlations
  • Fitted Line Plot: Stat > Regression > Fitted Line Plot > Enter the response variable under Response (y) and the explanatory variable under Predictor (x)
Inference
  • Correlation: Stat > Basic Statistics > Correlation > Select Graphs tab > Click Statistics to display on plot and select Correlations and p-values
  • Regression Line: Stat > Regression > Regression > Fit Regression Model > Enter the response variable under Responses and the explanatory variable under Continuous predictors > Select Results tab > Click Display of results and select Basic tables (Note: if you want the confidence interval for the population slope, change “display of results” to “expanded table.” With the expanded table, you will get a lot of information on the output that you will not understand.)
Descriptive, graphical
  • Side-by-side Bar Charts with raw data: Graph > Bar Chart > Counts of unique values > Multiple Variables
  • Side-by-side Bar Charts with a two-way table: Graph > Bar Chart > Summarized Data in a Table > Under Two-Way Table choose Clustered or Stacked > Enter the columns that contain the data under Y-variables and enter the column that contains your row labels under Row labels
Descriptive, numerical
  • Two-way Table: Stat > Tables > Cross Tabulation and Chi-square
Inference (difference in proportions)

Hypothesis Test

  • Using a dataset: Stat > Basic Statistics > 2 Proportions > Select variables (enter response variable as Samples and explanatory variable as Sample IDs) > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative
  • Using a summary table: Stat > Basic Statistics > 2 Proportions > Select Summarized data from the dropdown menu > Enter data > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative

Confidence Interval

  • Same as above, choose confidence level and make sure the alternative is set as not equal
Inference (Chi-squared test of association)
  • Stat > Tables > Chi-Square Test for Association > Choose correct data option (raw or summarized) > Select variables > Select Statistics tab to choose the statistics you want to display
  • Fit multiple regression model: Stat > Regression > Regression > Fit Regression Model > Enter the response variable under Responses, the quantitative explanatory variables under Continuous predictors, and any categorical explanatory variables under Categorical predictors > Select Results tab > Click Display of results and select Basic tables (Note: if you want the confidence intervals for the coefficients, change display of results to expanded table. You will get a lot of information on the output that you will not understand.)
  • Make a prediction or prediction interval using a fitted model: Stat > Regression > Regression > Predict > Enter values for each explanatory variable