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There is no better time to be a social worker using data, with an increase in the availability of high quality free and open source programs! Although all programs require a basic understanding of statistics and computer programming, some expect significantly more knowledge than others.
In the following sections, I will provide information on costs, general availability, training opportunities, and ease of use for a variety of analytic resources. The list below may not be comprehensive since new programs are being created all the time, but it will help you get started.
Anaconda Distribution
Anaconda Distribution
Cost: Free
Ease of Use: Medium to Difficult
Availability: Open Source
Learning: Medium to Difficult
Notes
This free and open source program is among one of the most popular data science platforms that combines a number of Python and R programs in a single interface. Includes Juypter Notebook, JupterLabs, Spyder, Qt Console, and RStudio among others. Is as difficult or easy to use as the program being used within Anaconda. Be aware you need to use the Anaconda Prompt to update Anaconda and the programs within Anaconda so you will need to have some comfort with using console user interface and command line interface is necessary.
Excel
Excel
Cost: Free Online, Requires a Microsoft 365 for desktop use
Ease of Use: Easy to Difficult
Availability: Widely available, highly utilized
Purpose: Designed best for basic business data and spreadsheet applications.
Notes
Microsoft provides free online access to Excel and given the widespread use of Microsoft products across social service sectors, this can be an excellent program for emerging social work analysts to use for tables, data tracking, budget creation, spreadsheets, and visualizations. Requires the download of an add on (Analysis ToolPak) to be used for statistical analyses. A basic understanding of statistical tests is required to build and interpret data results in Excel. Social workers who conduct more advanced analyses may quickly outgrow Excel, as it is generally not used for analyses such as those needed for multivariate, complex samples, or longitudinal data.
GNU PSPP
GNU PSPP
Cost: Free
Ease of Use: Easy
Availability: Open source
Learning: Easy to learn, Multiple free sources for training
Purpose: Free GNU that mimics the capabilities of SPSS.
Notes
This is a free program that is similar to SPSS in many ways. It performs descriptive statistics, most bivariate analyses, linear regression, logistic regression, measures of association, cluster analysis, reliability and factor analysis, and non-parametric tests. It can be a bit clunky with larger data sets, and some versions can be a bit buggy, so make sure to download a version that is stable and works for your data needs.
GitHub
GitHub
GitHub
Cost: Free
Ease of Use: Easy
Availability: Open source
Ease of Learning: Easy
Purpose: Data repository, collaboration, create websites, house resources, create tutorials, and more!
Notes
Although Git is generally used as a development framework for those creating software or data programs, GitHub can be used by to share computer code, data analysis techniques, and collaborate on data projects. GitHub is a repository, or "repo", that allows for a wide amount of sharing for open source code so you can download and edit code created by other researchers and tailor it to your needs. Remember, give credit to other data scientists who provide you with helpful material and do your best to pay it forward and share your own projects, when possible!
R
The R Project for Statistical Computing
The R Project for Statistical Computing
Cost: Free
Ease of Use: Difficult, Coding and Syntax Experience Necessary
Availability: Open source
Learning: Very difficult but a wide range of free learning are publicly available.
Purpose: Statistical Analysis +
Notes
R is a free software environment for statistical computing that is growing in popularity for data scientists. Many social work researchers and academics are choosing R because it is highly customizable for projects, can be used across multiple types of data, and can generate a wide range of data products. R comes with a steep learning curve and requires having existing knowledge in computing, computer coding, and statistics. Social workers who are new to data analysis may want to learn using a program like Excel or Google Sheets, before venturing into R.
Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
Cost: Expensive
Ease of Use: Easy
Availability: Difficult
Learning: Easy to learn, Multiple free sources for training
Notes
One of the most commonly used programs in the social sciences and business- is easy to learn how to use due to the availability of free trainings-but can be difficult to access due to its expense and multiple package options. Considered more of a program for beginners since it does not do all higher level analyses.
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