skip to primary navigationskip to content  The analysis of data
by computer  It has sometimes happened that research students
spend two or more years collecting large amounts of data before
considering the problems of analysing that data and with little
understanding of their statistical or computing needs. In a
disturbing number of cases the proposed analysis has
subsequently had to be severely restricted or even abandoned.
The data may be too massive to handle; more often some essential
measurements have been not been made, survey questions are
ambiguous or otherwise defective, or samples are of insufficient
quality or size. Sometimes the standard statistical or numerical
methods and the available computer programs are inadequate and
the development of suitable techniques would of itself provide a
PhD project.  Serious problems can also arise from the use of
inappropriate computer software for data analysis. This can lead
to results that are demonstrably incorrect or at least suspect,
besides risking unfav