We designed this book to be a quick overview of the most commonly used features of JMP. As you begin to use JMP more frequently or dig deeper into its analytics, you will inevitably have questions or find places where you will want to learn more. This chapter is designed to help you navigate the extensive resources available to help you answer those questions. We begin with JMP’s wide range of built-in resources.
A wide variety of documentation, tutorials, and other support materials live within JMP and are available on the web. We recommend you learn about these, because they were designed to assist you while you are using the software. These tools offer the most immediate answers.
Should you need additional assistance, other resources include outstanding technical support, teaching resources, live and on-demand Webcasts, user groups, blogs, and even social networking initiatives. JMP hosts dozens of events each year, including its annual Discovery Conference. JMP training courses are also available through SAS Education; many books, ranging from elementary to advanced, are referenced in the bibliography at the end of this book.
When you have any question about what you are looking at in a JMP window, what a graphic or result is, or how it was generated, the Help tool (also known as the question mark tool or the ? icon) in the Toolbar or the Tools menu is a great place to start (Figure 8.1).
Figure 8.1 The JMP Tools Menu and Toolbar
The Help tool provides a direct link to the documentation concerning the item in question.
1. Select the question mark from the toolbar and move the transformed “?” cursor to the item in question. (See Figure 8.2.)
Figure 8.2 The JMP Help Tool
2. Click on the item in question, and JMP reveals the specific place within the documentation that addresses the concepts or output at hand. (See Figure 8.3.)
Figure 8.3 JMP Documentation accessed with the JMP Help Tool
From the Help menu (see Figure 8.4), you can access specific help topics along with all of JMP’s documentation, tutorials, sample data, and shortcuts to statistical routines in JMP. Let’s define each of these items in the menu.
Figure 8.4 The JMP Help Menu
JMP Help
JMP Help takes you to the first page of the online JMP Documentation on the JMP website (Figure 8.5).
Figure 8.5 JMP Documentation Homepage
JMP Documentation Library
This menu item links to PDF file that contains all of the JMP user manuals. (See Figure 8.6.) Over 6,000 pages of JMP reference material are right at your fingertips. You can search and print any of these manuals. Discovering JMP is a logical next step for the reader of this book, as it covers the basics in slightly greater depth.
Figure 8.6 Documentation Included with JMP
New Features
This menu item opens a PDF file that documents the features that are new to your version of JMP.
Quick Reference Card
The Quick Reference Card is a document listing common keyboard shortcuts in JMP for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
Menu Card
The Menu Card is a document providing a short explanation for every JMP menu item on the operating system.
Sample Data Library
This option opens the operating system folder that contains all of the JMP sample data.
JMP on the Web
This menu contains quick links to specific items on the JMP website: JMP Welcome Kit, JMP User Community, Statistical Thinking Course, and Statistics Knowledge Portal. See Section 8.4 for a description of each of these items.
Tutorials
The tutorials cover the more commonly used statistical tools in JMP. (See Figure 8.7.) Each of these can be completed quickly to help you not only master the JMP steps, but also review the concepts involved. Each tutorial walks through the concept at hand, illustrating how to perform the data management task or analysis with JMP while explaining what each step does.
Figure 8.7 JMP Tutorials
Tip of the Day
JMP has summarized the most common and important FAQs into a collection of more than 60 Tip of the Day boxes. Often these are somewhat hidden features, but worthy of special mention in this form.
After JMP is installed, Tip of the Day boxes will appear each time you launch JMP. (See Figure 8.8.) We encourage you to review these at least once, because many of them will save you valuable time and frustration in the long run. If you do not want these to appear at launch, you can remove this default by unchecking the box at the lower left corner of the window or by selecting File Preferences General and unchecking the Show the Tip of the Day at startup.
Figure 8.8 Tip of the Day with JMP Launch
Statistics Index
The Statistics Index is the next item on the Help menu. Select Statistics Index when you know which statistical method you need but not where to find it in JMP. (See Figure 8.9.)
Figure 8.9 Statistics Index
This feature provides the following information:
● A comprehensive and alphabetical index of statistical tools included in JMP.
● Brief definitions of statistical terms with links to more comprehensive information through the Topic Help button. In some cases, a Run Example button is available to illustrate the technique.
● A direct shortcut to the JMP window or platform that generates a desired statistic. Select Help Statistics Index [choose statistic] Launch. (See Figure 8.10.)
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When using the Launch button in the index as a shortcut, you need to first have your data open or follow the prompts to open it. |
Figure 8.10 Launching a Platform from the Statistics Index
A Scripting Index follows the Statistics Index, which provides a comprehensive library of JMP scripting functions with links to examples and help. The Scripting Guide and JSL Syntax Reference (Help JMP Documentation Library) are also excellent resources for learning how to create custom applications using JMP Scripting Language (JSL).
Sample Data Index
The Sample Data Index (Help Sample Data) contains most of the data used in this book as well as in the JMP documentation. (See Figure 8.11.) It provides a convenient place to access data sets that you might want to use to see how JMP performs a specific method or type of problem, or to use for teaching purposes. It also contains other examples that might be of interest and provides a guide for how your data should be structured for a particular analysis.
Figure 8. 11 Sample Data Index
The Sample Data Index contains over 500 data sets. Many of these contain scripts that will generate an appropriate analysis, including those illustrated in the JMP documentation. Click on a gray triangle to disclose the data tables under a category of interest. To generate an analysis using a script, open a data table and locate a script in the Data Table’s top left panel.
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The buttons at the top of this window enable you to quickly locate and access sample data tables, scripts, projects, dashboards, import data, and applications. |
In addition to links to the sample data, the teaching resources panel in the Sample Data Index contains links to data tables that are particularly useful for teaching purposes as well as scripts that can be used to demonstrate introductory statistical concepts to students. Also found in this panel are calculators used to generate results from summary statistics common in a first statistics course that might not be found elsewhere in JMP.
The JMP Starter window provides an alternate means to navigate JMP along with a useful way to learn about the software. As discussed in Chapter 1, this book focuses on the menus that appear at the top of the JMP window. For some users who may be familiar with traditional statistical software, the JMP Starter can be a helpful and natural interface to JMP. For these users, we cover the JMP Starter essentials in this section. The JMP Starter consists of 19 categories with corresponding topics within each category.
● Select View JMP Starter. (See Figure 8.12.) Click through the items in the Click Category box on the left and see the corresponding topics within each category to the right. Notice that it organizes topics slightly differently and provides a description of the graphs and techniques within each option.
Figure 8.12 The JMP Starter
● Click on one of the topic buttons and a corresponding window launches to generate that output (similar to the Statistics Index in the Help menu).
There is extensive overlap with the menus that we have been discussing to this point, but the JMP Starter provides a little more description of and within each topic using statistical language to describe the button’s functions. If you want to use the menus without reliance on statistical language to perform an analysis instead, see the Analyze menu description in Chapter 4.
Think of the JMP website as the source for the latest information and a portal to the resources we discuss in this section. The website is a gateway to the JMP User Community, white papers, blogs, webcasts, and to downloads, such as maintenance upgrades. To learn about the latest JMP events and information, go to www.jmp.com or select Help JMP on the Web JMP Website from within the software.
JMP New User Welcome Kit
The JMP New User Welcome Kit is a self-paced path of demonstrations and activities to familiarize you with the JMP interface. This would be a good resource for someone who has just installed JMP and wants a quick start. From within JMP, select Help JMP on the Web JMP Welcome Kit.
JMP User Community
To access this resource from within JMP, select Help JMP on the Web JMP User Community. This menu item links to the JMP User Community (Figure 8.13), which is a portal where you can access a wide array of resources such as the File Exchange, JMP Discussion Forum, the JMP Blog, and the JMP Wish List. This is also where you can connect with other users through users’ groups or learn about upcoming events.
Figure 8.13 The JMP User Community
● The File Exchange is a database of user-developed scripts, helpful tools, and custom add-ins.
● Discussions is where you can ask other users usage questions and share tips and tricks.
● The JMP Blogs contain posts by experts about a wide range of analysis topics and JMP usage examples.
● The JMP Wish List is a place for users to share their requests for changes or additions to JMP.
Statistical Thinking for Industrial Problem Solving Course
This free online course is designed primarily to teach statistical concepts. At the same time, it introduces you to using JMP. The course consists of seven self-paced modules. Once you have completed the modules, you can demonstrate your mastery with the optional Certification exam. From within JMP, select Help JMP on the Web Statistical Thinking Course.
Statistics Knowledge Portal
Provides information about common statistical methods. This includes explanations, examples, and graphs. To access the portal from within JMP, select Help JMP on the Web Statistics Knowledge Portal.
JMP Webinars
JMP webcasts are offered each week for new users of the software at no cost. Go to www.jmp.com and select Learn JMP Getting Started with JMP. JMP also provides less frequent webcasts on more advanced features of JMP. These are live events hosted by JMP systems engineers and developers. Recorded or “on-demand” versions are also available for your convenience. Go to www.jmp.com and select Learn JMP Mastering JMP.
JMP Technical Support
JMP Technical Support provides support to registered users through the JMP website and with email and telephone. JMP Technical Support is staffed by experts who not only know the software, but who are also well-versed in the methodologies used in the software. Go to www.jmp.com and select Support Technical Support Services.
Technical Support maintains Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as well as installation, problem, usage, and sample notes. To access this information, go to www.jmp.com and select Support Knowledge Base and FAQ. To contact Tech Support by email, please email [email protected].
When you can’t find answers within JMP’s built-in resources or on the website, other resources are available. JMP offers many events, including the annual Discovery Conference and regional user groups. Comprehensive JMP training is available through SAS Education at SAS Regional Training Centers, at company sites, and through the web. Additional books, written by JMP users, are also available.
JMP Events
JMP Discovery Summit Conferences are held in several locations throughout the world each year. These conferences bring together thought leaders, JMP users, and JMP development staff to share the latest in analytic methods and the use of JMP. JMP also offers Explorer events, which are typically day-long, knowledge-sharing events focused on analytics.
Users’ Groups
There are several regional users’ groups that have regular meetings. Users’ groups are a convenient way to connect with other JMP users and to learn about some of the software’s latest developments. For more information, go to www.jmp.com/about/events/usergroups/.
JMP Books
In addition to the JMP documentation and this book, there are many books written by JMP users. Topics include JMP Scripting and analytical methods such as quality control, predictive analytics, and design of experiments. Some of the books are focused on the use of JMP and others are focused on analytics using JMP. To discover more about the books available, go to www.jmp.com/en_us/software/books.html.
SAS Training for JMP
SAS Education offers many courses on JMP ranging from basic to advanced. These courses are offered at SAS training facilities throughout the world, at customer sites, and through the web. SAS trainers who teach the courses are well-known for their instructional skills and their subject matter expertise. Some of the courses currently offered include A Case Study Approach to Data Exploration, Statistical Decisions Using ANOVA and Regression, Custom Design of Experiments, Statistical Process Control, and Predictive Modeling. For a full list of offerings, see the website at www.jmp.com/training.
In addition to formal courses, SAS also offers a workforce transformation program and a mentoring service. The workforce transformation program allows you to work with the JMP team to develop and deliver a program that meets the needs of your team. The mentoring service allows a JMP instructor to spend time with one or more individuals, focusing on their analysis needs and application areas of interest.
For more information about current SAS Education offerings, see the JMP website at www.jmp.com/training or send a request for information to [email protected].