Data Files for Basic Practice of Statistics, 7th edition

Software Notes: Producing Data

In Chapters 8 and 9, no data sets are needed. The only need for software here is to select a random sample. And, of course, that is only needed if your population or sample is so large that it is tedious to select the random sample by hand from a table.

In real statistical applications, usually the population and the sample are large enough that it is tedious to select the random sample by hand, so it is useful to know that you can do this with professional statistical software.

Minitab:

To use Minitab for sampling from a population, simply give every member of the population an appropriate ID number, put all those ID numbers in one column and then, in Minitab, use Calc > Random Data > Sample from Columns

If you have more ID numbers than it is convenient to type in by hand, use Calc > Make Patterned Data > Simple Set of Numbers and then you can set the first value and the last value.

For examples, see this document (excerpted from the Brief Guide to Minitab).

CrunchIt:

CrunchIt 3.0 does not have the option to sample from a finite population.