What is Spearman’s Rank?

Spearman’s Rank comes in your analysis, about half way through. This section is not compulsory but it will enable you to get up to Level 3 on your analysis and therefore get full marks for this section.

Spearman’s Rank is a formula, which allows you to check and see if there is a link (correlation) between two sets of data. It can be used to check all sorts of data e.g. height and shoe size, but in your coursework you will use it to see if there is a link between distance from the town centre and the total score on the environmental index.

The answer, once you have completed the formula will be a figure between 0 and 1. The closer it is to 1 the more positive the link is. Anything above 0.5 is seen as a positive link (correlation.

How to work out Spearman’s Rank

You will need a map of the town you are studying
The blank practice table your teacher will give you.

• On the practice table you have been fill in the names of the sample points in column 1. It does not matter what order you put them in.
• On the map draw straight lines from the centre of your town (e.g. the forum for Billingham) to the centre of each sample point.
• Measure the distance in millimetres from the town centre to each sample point and put this measurement in column 2.
• Give the rank order for the distance from the town centre to each sample point in column 3. FURTHEST FROM THE TOWN CENTRE IS RANK NUMBER 1.
• In column 4 fill in the total score for each sample point for the Environmental Index.
• In column 5 give the rank order of the scores on the environmental index for column 4. HIGHEST SCORE IS RANKED 1.
• Column 6 is the difference between column 3 and column 5 (column 3 minus column 5). N.B. you will get minus numbers.
• Column 7 is the square of column 6 (times by itself) to get rid of the minus figure.
• You then need to add up all of column 7 and fill in the total at the bottom – it is this total that goes into the formula. See the separate sheet for the formula.

How to use Spearman’s Rank

Even if you do not get a positive link from Spearman’s Rank you will still get the extra marks for having done the process as it is a complex skill.

Once you have worked it out you then need to include it in your analysis by:

• Saying what Spearman’s Rank is
• Describing what you did
• Showing your working out, the table and the map
• Explaining your findings and what they mean.

You could then use Spearman’s Rank to test for other links, e.g. Environmental Index and House Prices or questionnaire results.