Minitab Quick Guide

Minitab 18

Minitab®

To access Minitab Web

  1. Use a Google Chrome browswer.
  2. On the Minitab License Portal, under 'My Products', choose Minitab Solution Center, the 'Open Web App.'
  3. Choose the 'Analytics' app to get started.

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 [*For Test Method Choose ‘Use the pooled estimate of the proportion’]
  • Using a summary table: Stat > Basic Statistics > 2 Proportions > Select Summarized data from the dropdown menu > Enter data > Select Options tab > Choose correct alternative [*For Test Method Choose ‘Use the pooled estimate of the proportion’]

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