To Start Minitab: Click the Minitab Icon  in the Applications Group.

To Exit Minitab: Click File>Exit or type stop at the MTB> prompt.

 

Loading, Saving and Printing:

• File>Open Worksheet... opens a saved file. You can open many types of files, including Text, Quattro Pro, Excel, and dBASE files; just select the file type you want from the Files of Type list.
• There are sample data sets in C:\Program Files\MTBWIN\DATA, C:\Program Files\MTBWIN\STUDENT1, C:\Program Files\MTBWIN\STUDENT8, C:\Program FilesMTBWIN\STUDENT9, and C:\Program Files\MTBWIN\Student12
• File>Open Project... opens Minitab project files which contain data as well as graphs and session information.
• You can also enter data by hand, using Minitab's spreadsheet-like Data Window.
• Attention: There are two types of data : text and numeric. When you type in your first entry, Minitab sets the type for the column, a column with text data has an "-T" appended to the column name. Make sure that numeric values are in a numeric type column.
• File>Save Current Worksheet As... saves your data. Make sure the correct file type appears in the Save as Type box.
• File>Save Project As... saves the data worksheets as well as the session window and graphs.
• File>Print Session Window... takes you to the printing menu. Edit the output in the Session window to avoid printing out junk.
• Do not Print out Worksheets!!  It wastes paper and is not very useful. Use the data descriptions and table commands to produce summaries of your data in the Session window.

Analyzing data

Select a statistical procedure from the Statistics menu or use the command language. The output will appear in the Session window.

 

 

Creating Graphs

• Use the Graph menu to create a graph/chart of your data. Select graph type and enter the variables you would like to graph.
• You can edit certain attributes of the graphs by double clicking on the graph and then double  clicking on the object you wish to edit (title, foonotes, axis labels, ticks, etc.).
• Click on the paint brush icon in the tool bar to identify particular points on a scatter plot.

Creating and Printing a Multi-Graph Layout:

• You can place several graphs of differing types on one page (one Graph window), as well as add annotation that applies to the whole page. These sophisticated displays are called layouts.  You create a layout by first entering layout mode, then specifying the graphics commands that will create the Graph window content, and finally exiting layout mode. While in layout mode, Minitab records all the core graph commands you use. No content appears until you exit layout mode. If you exit layout mode without issuing any core graph commands, you will create an empty Graph window.
• Choose Graph>Layout... This opens the Layout dialog box.
• In the Layout dialog box, specify annotation you want to apply, if any, to the entire Graph window, such as titles, footnotes, reference lines, etc., then click OK.  This puts Minitab in layout mode.
• Create each core graph, specifying its position in the Graph window by setting the coordinates of its figure region (the area in the Graph window that is assigned to each graph).  Each graph will require its own dialogue box, but all the graphs will appear in the same window.
• Size and place a figure region by specifying the minimum and maximum x- and y-coordinates (the coordinates are in terms of the whole page, and run from 0 to 1 in each direction. In the x-direction, 0 is the left edge of the page, 1 is the right edge. In the y-direction, 0 is the bottom edge, and 1 is the top edge).
  In a core graph dialog box, choose Regions>Figure . Under Position of Figure Region Within a Page, enter the minimum and maximum values for X and Y. The values can be any number from 0 to 1.

  Example: the four histograms in the graph below display cholestrol levels for 2-day, 4-day, 14-day, and control groups.
   
  

  In creating core graphs for each group the figure region specifications are as follows:

  2-day group in upper left quadrant
                  x-minimim:   0.0      x-maximum:  0.45
                  y-minimum:  0.55    y-maximum:   1.0

  4-day group in upper right quadrant
                  x-minimum:  0.55    x-maximum:  1.0
                  y-minimum:  0.55    y-maximum:  1.0

  14-day group in lower left quadrant
                  x-minimum:  0.0      x-maximum:  0.45
                  y-minimum:  0.0      x-maximum:  0.45

  control group in lower right quadrant
                  x-minimum:  0.55      x-maximum:  1.0
                  y-minimum:  0.0        y-minimum:   0.45
   

• After creating each core graph, choose Graph>End Layout. This exits layout mode. The graphs and annotation then appear in one Graph window.

• To save a graph to use in another application

• With the Graph window active, choose File>Save Graph As.
• In Save as type, choose the format that can be used by the other application such as bitmap (BMP) or JPEG (JPG).
• 
  Tip:  In Word for Windows 97, both formats are accepted;  use Insert>Picture>From File option, and click on All Pictures, Windows Bitmap, or JPEG File Interchange Format as the filetype.
• In File name, type a name and click Save.

Tutorials

Meet Minitab. An introductory tutorial on the WWW.

Other Resources

Minitab Inc Homepage