Most data sets collected by researchers are multivariate, and in the majority of cases the variables need to be examined simultaneously to get the most informat... » 

Most data sets collected by researchers are multivariate, and in the majority of cases the variables need to be examined simultaneously to get the most informative results. This requires the use of one or other of the many methods of multivariate analysis, and the use of a suitable software package such as S-PLUS or R. «