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A Practical Handbook for Multivariate Methods
Peter Henderson & Richard Seaby

PLEASE NOTE: This title has been superseded by our revision, Applying Multivariate Methods. However, we are retaining this webpage, and the data sets, for the benefit of those who have the original book.

A Practical Handbook for Multivariate Methods features a wide range of data sets from published work in different fields. So that the reader can really explore the featured methods in depth, we have made the data sets available to be downloaded.

To download each data set, right-click on the link, and select "Save Link As" (Firefox) or "Save Target As" (Internet Explorer). The file size is tiny, usually 2 - 3 kb.

Each data set is in the form of a zipped file, containing the data as a .csv (comma-separated text) file, along with a file with a .pcg extension. This second file holds data relating to group assignments; if you open the .csv file in Community Analysis Package or Ecom, the samples will automatically be assigned to their selected groups, provided the .pcg file is in the same folder as the main data file.

The Pollen data and Hinkley fish CCA data sets, to be used in Ecom, each contain two data sets; one featuring species/sample data, and the other data relating to environmental variables.

Chapter 2: Principal Components Analysis (PCA)
  • The horseshoe effect
    Demonstration data set: artificial data horseshoe effect.xls
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  • Example from archaeology: the classification of Jomon pottery sherds
    Demonstration data set: Jomon_Hall.csv
    Reference: Hall, M. E., 2001. Pottery styles during the early Jomon period: geochemical perspectives on the Moroiso and Ukishima pottery styles. Archaeometry 43: 59-75.
    Download data

  • Example from geology: An investigation of the Martinsville igneous complex
    Demonstration data set: Petrology.csv
    Reference: P. C. Ragland, J. F. Conley, W. C. Parker, and J. A. Van Orman, 1997, Use of Principal Components Analysis in petrology: an example from the Martinsville igneous complex, Virginia, U.S.A. Mineralogy and Petrology 60:165-184.
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  • Example from biology: Comparing the songs of cicadas
    Demonstration data set: cicada.csv
    Reference: Ohya, E., 2004. Identification of Tibicen cicada species by a Principal Components Analysis of their songs. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ci�ncias 76: 441-444
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  • Example from biology: Analysis of community change with climate warming
    Demonstration data set: Hinkley fish.csv
    Reference: Henderson, P. A., 2007. Discrete and continuous change in the fish community of the Bristol Channel in response to climate change. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. (2007), 87: 589?598
    Download data
Chapter 3: Correspondence Analysis (CA)
  • Example from marketing: Soft drink consumption
    Demonstration data set: Beverages.csv
    Reference: Hoffman; D. L. & Franke, G. R., 1986, Correspondence Analysis: Graphical Representation of Categorical Data in Marketing Research. Journal of Marketing Research, 23: 213-227.
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  • Example from archaeology: The temporal relationship between the pots from trenches on the Greek island of Melos
    Demonstration data set: Melos.csv
    Reference: Berg; I. & Blieden, S., 2000. The Pots of Phylakopi: Applying Statistical Techniques to Archaeology. Chance, 13: 8-15.
    Download data

  • Example from biology: Analysis of community change with climate warming
    Demonstration data set: Hinkley fish.csv
    Reference: Henderson, P. A., 2007. Discrete and continuous change in the fish community of the Bristol Channel in response to climate change. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. (2007), 87: 589-598
    Download data
Chapter 4: Multidimensional Scaling (MDS)
  • Example from archaeology: Seriation of Nigerian pottery
    Demonstration data set: Nigerian pottery.csv
    Reference: Usman, A. A., 2003, Ceramic Seriation, Sites Chronology, and Old Oyo Factor in North-central Yorubaland, Nigeria African Archaeological Review, 20: 149-169.
    Download data

  • Example from biology: Analysis of fish community change
    Demonstration data set: Hinkley annual fish.csv
    Reference: Henderson, P. A., 2007. Discrete and continuous change in the fish community of the Bristol Channel in response to climate change. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. (2007), 87: 589-598
    Download data

  • Example from geology: Ordovician mollusc assemblages
    Demonstration data set: Ordovician fossils.csv
    Reference: Novack-Gottshall, P. M., Miller, A. I. 2003, Comparative Taxonomic Richness and Abundance of Late Ordovician Gastropods and Bivalves in Mollusc-rich Strata of the Cincinnati Arch. PALAIOS, 18: 559?571.
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Chapter 5: Linear Discriminant Analysis (DA)
  • Example from biology: Iris systematics
    Demonstration data set: irises.csv
    Reference: Fisher, R.A. (1936). The Use of Multiple Measurements in Taxonomic Problems. Annals of Eugenics 7: 179?188.
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  • Example from archaeology: Skull shape
    Demonstration data set: Egyptian skulls.csv
    Reference: Thomson, A. and Randall-Maciver, R. (1905) Ancient Races of the Thebaid, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Also found in: Hand, D.J., et al. (1994) A Handbook of Small Data Sets, New York: Chapman & Hall, pp. 299-301. Manly, B.F.J. (1986) Multivariate Statistical Methods, New York: Chapman & Hall.
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  • Example from archaeology: Chemical analysis of Romano-British pottery
    Demonstration data set: Romano British pottery.csv
    Reference: Tubb, A., Parker, A.J. and Nickless, G. (1980) The analysis of Romano-British pottery by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Archaeometry, 22: 153-171. Also found in: Hand, D.J., et al. (1994) A Handbook of Small Data Sets, London: Chapman & Hall, 252.
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Chapter 6: Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA)
  • Example from palaeontology: Palaeogeography of forest trees in the Czech Republic around 2000 BP
    Demonstration data set: Pollen data biological.csv and Pollen data environmental.csv
    Reference: Petr Pokorn� (2002) Palaeogeography of forest trees in the Czech Republic around 2000 BP: Methodical approach and selected results. Preslia, Praha, 74: 235-246.
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  • Example from biology: The effect of climate change on an estuarine fish community
    Demonstration daa set: Hinkley annual fish CCA.csv and Hinkley independent variables.csv
    Reference: Henderson, P. A. (2007) Discrete and continuous change in the fish community of the Bristol Channel in response to climate change. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK. 87: 589-598.
    Download data
Chapter 7: TWINSPAN
  • Example from biology: Woody species composition of floodplain forests of the Little River, McCurtain and LeFlore Counties, Oklahoma
    Demonstration data set: Oklahoma floodplain forest.csv
    Reference: B. W. Hoagland, L. R. Sorrels and S. M. Glenn (1996). Woody species composition of floodplain forests of the Little River, McCurtain and LeFlore Counties, Oklahoma. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 74: 23 - 29.
    Download data

  • Example from biology: The effect of climate change on an estuarine fish community
    Demonstration data set: Hinkley annual fish.csv and Hinkley fish.csv
    Reference: Henderson, P. A. (2007) Discrete and continuous change in the fish community of the Bristol Channel in response to climate change. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK. 87: 589-598.
    Download data
Chapter 8: Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (ACA)
  • Example from biology: Woody species composition of floodplain forests of the Little River, McCurtain and LeFlore Counties, Oklahoma
    Demonstration data set: Oklahoma floodplain forest.csv
    Reference: B. W. Hoagland, L. R. Sorrels and S. M. Glenn (1996). Woody species composition of floodplain forests of the Little River, McCurtain and LeFlore Counties, Oklahoma. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 74: 23 - 29.
    Download data

  • Example from biology: The effect of climate change on an estuarine fish community
    Demonstration data set: Hinkley annual fish.csv and Hinkley fish.csv
    Reference: Henderson, P. A. (2007) Discrete and continuous change in the fish community of the Bristol Channel in response to climate change. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK. 87: 589-598.
    Download data

  • Example from veterinary science: Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breed
    Demonstration data set: dog growth study.csv
    Reference: Hawthorne, A. J. Booles, D., Nugent, P. A., Gettinby, G. and Wilkinson, J. (2004) Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. American Society for Nutritional Sciences. J. Nutr. 134: 2027S?2030S.
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  • Example from linguistics: Authors' characteristic writing styles as seen through their use of commas
    Demonstration data set: comma placement.csv
    Reference: Jin, M. & Murakami, M. (1993) Authors' characteristic writing styles as seen through their use of commas. Behaviormetrika, 20: 63-74.
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Chapter 9: Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM)
  • Example from archaeology: The classification of Jomon pottery sherds
    Demonstration data set: Jomon_Hall.csv
    Reference: Hall, M. E., 2001. Pottery styles during the early Jomon period: geochemical perspectives on the Moroiso and Ukishima pottery styles. Archaeometry 43: 59-75.
    Download data