15.7 Specialist statistical processing/analytical software

A number of specialist statistical and econometric processing and analytical software packages are available for use in an NSO, both on a commercial and open-source basis. Some of the more widely used products are described below.

Analytica is a visual software package for creating, analysing and communicating quantitative decision models. It combines hierarchical influence diagrams for visual creation and view of models, intelligent arrays for working with multidimensional data, Monte Carlo simulation for analysing risk and uncertainty, and optimization, including linear and nonlinear programming.

EViews is a statistical package used mainly for time-series oriented econometric analysis. EViews can be used for general statistical analysis and econometric analyses, such as cross-section and panel data analysis and time series estimation and forecasting.

MATLAB Matrix laboratory is a programming language that allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages.

Minitab is a statistics package developed at the Pennsylvania State University. It is a general-purpose statistical software package used as a primary tool for analysing research data.

Wolfram Mathematica is a system whose programming language and capabilities cover neural networks, machine learning, image processing, geometry, data science, visualizations, and others.

SPSS is a program for statistical analysis in social science.

SAS is a software suite that can mine, alter, manage and retrieve data from a variety of sources and perform statistical analysis on it.

Stata is a general-purpose statistical software package whose capabilities include data management, statistical analysis, graphics, simulations, regression, and custom programming.

“R” open-source R is a programming language and free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis.

CSPro The Census and Survey Processing System is a public domain data processing software package. The main purpose of this software framework is to design application for data collection and processing.