Why we are using and teaching Jamovi and R for statistics
The significant cost of proprietary statistical software to the individual can be a barrier to future data analysis opportunities (e.g., an SPSS subscription is an expensive and ongoing cost). This is the primary reason only free statistical software is used for teaching quantitative methods at CMI. The aim is to enable students to use data analysis techniques throughout their careers, independent of whether they can afford to maintain an SPSS licence after they graduate. CMI students have a choice of free statistical programs they can use for their research (jamovi or R).
What is Jamovi and how to download it
jamovi is a statistical analysis program that is free to download for Mac or Windows computers. It is built on top of the well-known R statistical language, allowing users to access R via a user-friendly graphical interface. You can download it here: https://www.jamovi.org/download.html
jamovi is a free and open-source program that should be relatively simple to use for those who have previously used programs like SPSS. While it is built upon the R programming language, for most simple purposes you do not need to use any direct coding. You do not need to install R separately to use jamovi.
A number of resources for jamovi can be found on the main website: https://www.jamovi.org/community.html, and many tutorials are available on youtube and elsewhere.
What is R and how to download it
R is a powerful and free statistical programming language. It is highly flexible and is constantly being expanded by a large community of users through add-on “packages”, but it can be daunting for those who are more familiar with menu-driven programs. To download R, navigate to https://cran.r-project.org/ and select the version relevant to your platform (“Download and Install R”) and then the latest release (normally the first obvious link). If using R, we recommend using RStudio as an interface (IDE). It is available at https://docs.posit.co/ide/user/#rstudio-ide-oss-downloads, but note that you must install R separately first.
R is an extremely well-established program with many tutorials available online. For example:
If you have further questions about our statistics packages and research methods methodology, please reach out to the relevant thesis and unit coordinators for your program.
Updated: 16/09/2026