Quick answer: jamovi is a free, open-source statistics package that looks like a spreadsheet and thinks like SPSS — menus instead of syntax, APA-formatted output instead of reformatting. For students and researchers it covers 95% of what SPSS does: descriptives, t-tests, ANOVA, regression, chi-square, non-parametrics, even mixed models via modules. If you’re installing it fresh, start with our jamovi installation guide, then come back for the first analysis below.
Coming from SPSS: the translation table
| SPSS habit | jamovi equivalent |
|---|---|
| Data View / Variable View tabs | One window; click a column header to open variable setup (type, levels, measure) |
| Analyze menu | Analyses ribbon — grouped as Exploration, T-Tests, ANOVA, Frequencies, Regression |
| Output Viewer with navigation tree | Results panel on the right; every table edits live when you change options |
| Syntax window | None needed — but the Rj module shows the equivalent R code if you want it |
| .sav files | Opens .sav, .csv, .xlsx directly; saves its own .omv format |
Your first analysis in five clicks
- Load data: menu → Open → pick a CSV or .sav file. Each column becomes a variable; set its measure (Nominal/Ordinal/Continuous) by double-clicking the header.
- Descriptives first: Exploration → Descriptives → move variables across. You get n, mean, median, SD, plots — the health check before any test.
- First test: T-Tests → Independent Samples T-Test → dependent variable, grouping factor. The result appears instantly, with confidence intervals.
- Assumptions tab: tick Normality (Shapiro-Wilk) and Variance homogeneity (Levene) — they render as extra columns in the same table.
- Export: results copy cleanly into Word; or File → Export → HTML/PDF for the whole output.
The conceptual machinery you’re operating — null hypotheses, p-values, assumptions — is the same in every package; our hypothesis testing guide covers the logic. jamovi’s advantage is that the output arrives publication-formatted, so you learn interpretation instead of syntax. Next steps: the t-test walkthrough and one-way ANOVA in jamovi.
For guided practice on your own thesis data, Ampersand Academy teaches statistics with jamovi one-to-one.
Frequently asked questions
Is jamovi really free, and is it good enough for a thesis?
Yes – jamovi is completely free and open source, built on the R statistical language. It covers the analyses most theses need (descriptives, t-tests, ANOVA, regression, chi-square) and outputs APA-style tables examiners accept.
Can jamovi open SPSS .sav files?
Yes. jamovi opens .sav files directly, along with CSV and Excel. You can also save work as .omv and export results to Word-friendly formats.
What is the difference between jamovi and JASP?
Both are free, R-based SPSS alternatives with near-identical coverage. jamovi emphasizes a spreadsheet-like data editor and modular add-ons; JASP emphasizes Bayesian analyses. For classic frequentist coursework they are interchangeable.
Does jamovi work without internet or coding knowledge?
Yes. It runs fully offline after installation, and every analysis is menu-driven – no syntax required. Optional modules add abilities like reliability analysis and structural equation modeling.
Which measure should I set for my variables?
Nominal for unordered categories like blood group, Ordinal for ordered categories like Likert scales, Continuous for measured numbers like height. The measure controls which analyses and plots jamovi offers.