Course dates
Course overview
This 2-day course offers an introduction to statistical analysis for beginners and those would like to refresh their knowledge.
We encounter statistics on a daily basis, but what do they mean and how can we evaluate them critically? Do numbers ever lie? Learning about statistics helps us to use statistics in our work, studies and other aspects of life. This statistics for Beginners course is for anyone who would like to know more about statistics, how they work and how they are used.
The course covers basic concepts relating to statistical analysis, including descriptive and inferential statistics and issues relating to data collection and management. You will work with real datasets and produce statistical results in presentable formats. All analyses will be conducted using open-source statistical packages, so that you can continue to use statistics following the course.
The course is available in four formats:
- Campus
- Clients' Office
- Online (Virtual Classroom) with live tutoring
- Bespoke (Group or 1-2-1 coaching)
100% of AIR income, beyond operational expense, is used towards education and research. Read more…
Why choose this course
The course will be run by research psychologists. Small group sizes will enable individual support and personalised feedback.
Goldsmiths Psychology department is in the World Top 100 in the QS ranking for academic reputation. Papers by our academics are highly cited, we hold 55th place among the worlds' Psychology departments for the number of citations per published paper.
The course can be taken in combination with the three-day Psychological Research Design and Analysis course.
Is this course for me?
This course is for anyone who wants to learn the basics of statistical analysis; especially for beginners and those who would like to refresh their knowledge. The course uses examples from psychological research but they are applicable to all quantitative research. The course is aimed at providing an understanding of basic concepts in statistics. The course also suits participants who are learning to use statistical software, such as SPSS or R, but need to learn or recap their statistical knowledge.
More information
This course can be taken in combination with:
- Psychological Research Design and Analysis – a three-day course, covering the basics issues relating to research design and analyses in psychological research.
- Academic Writing and Publishing – Learn from highly cited academics on how to improve your writing in one day.
- Public Speaking and Presenting – a one-day course, covering all key aspects of public speaking.
Fees
£295
Goldsmiths offers a 15% concession rate on short courses to Lewisham Local cardholders, Students and Goldsmiths Alumni. Please email shortcourses@gold.ac.uk for further information.
Booking information
Please note our short courses sell out quickly, so early booking is advisable.
Location
Online
Enquiries
Find out more about all of the AIR courses available to you.
For all enquiries, and to be regularly updated on upcoming AIR courses, please email: air (@gold.ac.uk). For anything urgent, or if emailing is not a good option for you, you can also call us via WhatsApp or phone on +44 (0)7908 566 949.
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Disability Support
We are committed to providing reasonable teaching adjustments for students with disabilities that may impact on their learning experience. If you require adjustments, please complete the relevant section on the booking form and also contact us at shortcourses (@gold.ac.uk) so we can respond to your requests as soon as possible.
Please note that our short courses sell-out quickly, so early booking is advisable.
Refund policy: See AIR courses main page
Tutor information

Teemu Toivainen
Teemu is an expert in the study of creativity. His research includes the application of complex statistical modelling to ascertain the structure and aetiology of individual differences in creativity. Teemu is an experienced teacher who excels in making complex concepts accessible.

Robert Chapman
Robert's research focuses on public engagement with science, particularly genetics. He has developed, validated and promoted various measures of genetic knowledge and opinions and works regularly with large datasets (N >13,000). He is passionate about improving scientific engagement across society.
Yulia Kovas
Professor Kovas has published over 100 articles in highly regarded journals, and her overall citations exceed 2000. She is also an author of many book chapters and an editor of several book volumes. She has acted as an associate editor to 3 academic journals, and reviews for 35 journals, as well as for international funding bodies. She regularly gives invited and keynote talks at international conferences.
Learning outcomes
On this short course, you will learn about the following:
Day 1
- to gain insights to the relevance of statistical information in everyday life
- to be able tp crtitically evaluate statistical information
- to use descriptive statistics to summarise data
- to present data in an accessible way
Day 2
- to use inferential statistics to generalise findings
- to understand differences between correlational and comparative statistics
- to be able to run basic statistical analyses using an open source statistical software