Graph contains graph tools that are independent of statistics (at least initially). Graphs in this menu include basic charts to advanced multivariable and animated visualization tools and maps (Chapters 3 and 4).
● Tools enables you to transform your cursor into a help tool, a brushing tool, a selection or scrolling tool, and much more (Section 7.2).
● View provides options to control which windows, menus and toolbars are visible including the JMP Starter (Section 8.3).
● Window helps you manage windows within JMP.
● Help provides resources for learning and using JMP. Let’s start with an introduction to the Help menu.
| Note |
| Additional menu items including “Add-ins” and “SAS” may appear if and when you have tools of these types installed. |
The Help Menu
The Help menu (see Figure 1.15) provides access to learning resources that you can use as you expand your knowledge of JMP features, learn about statistics, and learn how to interpret results. These resources include searchable indexes, guided tutorials, tips of the day, and links to printable books including Using JMP. Data tables used in this book and in all JMP documentation are included in the Sample Data directory. Chapter 8 covers the features of the Help menu in greater detail.
Figure 1.15 The Help Menu
JMP also features context-specific help, meaning that when you use the JMP Help Tool in any graph or statistical result, you are directed to the right spot in the online documentation to assist you in understanding the result. For more information about the JMP Help Tool, see section 8.1. In statistical results, JMP provides Hover Help that reveals context-specific interpretation of statistical results. See Chapter 5 for more information.
Interpretation can be straightforward for descriptive graphs or basic summary statistics, but as you dig deeper into an analysis or use more advanced methods, it is vitally important that you understand the meaning of the results, particularly when they are shared or presented. The documentation under Help JMP Documentation Library includes over 6,000 pages of reference material in fourteen books that address the needs of professional statisticians and analysts. If you encounter results that you do not understand, however, we strongly recommend that you seek assistance from experienced data analysts.
The Analyze and Graph Menus
Because most graphs or statistical results begin with the Analyze and Graph menus, let’s explore the structure within these two menus a little bit more.
Click the Analyze menu at the top of the window. Glance at the choices on the menu. Top-down, the platforms are organized from the basic to more advanced tools. Next, click the Graph menu at the top of the window. Glance at the graph choices. The menus in JMP – specifically the Analyze and Graph menus (see Figures 1.16a and 1.16b) – are designed to provide both a description and visual cues for analyzing, graphing, and exploring data.
| Figure 1.16a The Analyze Menu | Figure 1.16b The Graph Menu |
Note that each entry under these menus has both a name and an icon (on the Mac, the icons will not appear). The icons next to the Graph menu options give you a preview of each graph. From the Analyze menu, the icons depict the description or relationships that you will see in graphs and statistical results (Figure 1.17).
Figure 1.17 Visual Cues Provided for Basic Analysis
| Note |
| The Analyze menu items produce both graphs and statistical results, while the Graph menu items produce only graphs, at least initially. |
Framework of the Analyze Menu
There is a problem-solving framework to the Analyze menu that we will discuss in detail in Chapter 5. As mentioned in the introduction, your exploratory objective will translate to these menu items. This structure streamlines the analysis process; in order to select the correct menu item, you only need to count how many columns you are interested in and know whether you are trying to describe, compare, or understand their relationship. (See Figure 1.18.)
Figure 1.18 Framework of the Analyze Menu
This framework cues you to the correct analysis choice on the menu without exposing you to many statistical terms until you need them. Make no mistake; you still get the statistics when you want them, but you do not have to know all the statistical terms or assumptions in order to access them.
| Note |
| JMP’s Analyze menu contains terms such as Distribution and Fit Y by X that might be unfamiliar, but the ideas behind them are very straightforward. We describe them in simple terms as needed throughout the book. Many items under the Analyze and Graph menus are referred to as platforms or commands through this book. For example, Distribution and Fit Y by X are referred to as platforms. |
1.4 Elements of Using JMP
Before we launch JMP for the first time, let’s look at the four common elements of a JMP analysis. All JMP analyses contain these elements, and they follow a consistent process.
1. The first is the JMP Home Window, where you begin a JMP session (Figure 1.19). This is your mission control center. As described earlier in this chapter, from here you can open or create a data table or easily navigate between data tables, results, and help.
Figure 1.19 The JMP Home Window
2. The second element is a Data Table where your data reside, which you might have imported or opened through the Home Window (Figure 1.20). The data table is also where you will usually initiate an analysis or graph described next. We will cover the Data Table in Chapter 2.
Figure 1.20 A JMP Data Table
3. Once you have a data table open in JMP, you will want to select a task through the JMP menus. These tasks (or commands as we call them in JMP) generate a Launch Window to execute your desired command (Figure 1.21). You will notice that the columns or variables from your data table are pre-populated in the launch window. Chapters 3 through 6 will explore these tasks and their results.
Figure 1.21 A JMP Launch Window
4. The result of any executed command is called the Report Window, which contains the graphs and statistics that you have asked JMP to glean from your data (Figure 1.22). We will be seeing Report Windows throughout this book as we illustrate JMP’s features, but Chapter 7 will focus on how to share these graphs and reports with others.
Figure 1.22 A Report Window
