MINITAB Assignment 1
(due Friday Feb. 12)


The assignment is to generate and print out the following for a canned data set in MINITAB: basic descriptive statistics; stem and leaf display; graphs by boxplot, dotplot, frequency histogram and density histogram. The dataset is C1 of the "Scores" file.

What follows is an algorithm for doing the assignment in the Math OWL (Room 0203 in the basement of the Math building). You can adapt these instructions to other platforms. Don't start in the OWL unless you have a print account set up with wam [see MINITAB and Stat 100 ].


Basic windows: you MINIMIZE a window by clicking the small dashed box in the upper right corner of the window; this iconifies the window. Clicking the small X box CLOSES the window, which cannot then be revived. Clicking the box with two overlapping squares presents a smaller window display -- I will say this MEDIUMIZES the window. (Mediumization is a term so ugly I hope you will remember it.)

I will use capitals to indicate the name of a menu item to be chosen, or an item to be clicked. Here we go:


Log in.

START > PROGRAMS > MINITAB13 FOR WINDOWS > MINITAB
(The above means, hold down the menu item Start, from its menu choose Programs, and so on.)
(You may have an Omegaware window appear. You can just close it.)

FILE > OPEN WORKSHEET
(The above means, from the File menu on the top bar, select open worksheet.)

Click in the low bar to move right in the displayed data titles until you can see the data file "Scores".

SCORES, OPEN, OK
(The last three were things you clicked. You now have loaded columns C1, C2 into the data window with some scores. Each column has 31 scores, you can view more of them by scrolling.)

Type into the session window
        Your name
        Minitab Assignment 1
(You will need to have this data in your output to get credit.)

STAT > BASIC STATISTICS > DISPLAY BASIC STATISTICS
Type C1 in the Variables box.
OK .
(You should now have in the session window some basic descriptive statistics of the scores data of column 1.)

STAT > BASIC STATISTICS > DISPLAY BASIC STATISTICS
(C1 is already in the Variables box; Minitab remembers.)
Select Boxplot.
OK , OK .
Minimize the boxplot window you made.


GRAPH > DOTPLOT
Type C1 in the Graph Variables box.
Type in a title "Scores Dotplot by Name" (put your name in for "Name").
OK .
Minimize the dotplot box.

GRAPH > STEM AND LEAF
Type C1 in the Graph Variables box.
OK .

GRAPH > HISTOGRAM
Type C1 in the Graph Variables box.
OK .

GRAPH > HISTOGRAM
Type C1 in the Graph Variables box.
Click OPTIONS, select density.
OK , OK .
(Notice what is the difference between the density histogram and the frequency histogram.)
Minimize the histogram windows.


Print out your work (the session window, and the four graph windows you have minimized).

One way achieve this printing follows. [Remark: it requires multiple print commands, I am a minitab beginner myself, and I don't yet know if there is a smoother way -- feel free to find one!]

First, print out the dotplot as follows:

      ***********
Click the icon for your dotplot window, and mediumize the dotplot window. (Using a medium size window will make it easier to avoid clicking window controls for the whole minitab program by mistake.)
FILE > PRINT GRAPH
OK .
Now run through the sequence of obvious prompts such that at the end, your dotplot graph will print. You will need to provide your print account and password during this.

Minimize the dotplot window.
(On my first try, I closed the dotplot window after giving the print command, and my Minitab crashed. That is why I suggest minimizing here rather than closing. But maybe I just had bad luck).
      ***********

Repeat the above procedure to print out your boxplot: briefly,
Mediumize the boxplot window
FILE > PRINT GRAPH
Give necessary replies for printing.
Minimize the boxplot window.

Repeat the process to also print out your two histograms.

Now, with all your graphs iconified:
FILE > PRINT SESSION WINDOW
Give necessary replies to get your session window printed.

Collect your output from the printer, check it.
Close your graph windows, close minitab.
Log out (i.e., START > SHUT DOWN).