What is ANOVA?

ANOVA stands for Analysis of Variance. It is a statistical tool that is used to compare the means of different samples to determine how one or more factors may influence the outcome. ANOVA is the first step in analyzing what factors affect a given data set. The results of the test are utilized in other tests to generate further data that aligns with the proposed regression models. 

ANOVA is an extremely useful research technique in a wide range of fields including biology, sociology, economics, education, agriculture, psychology, and more. Analysts use the ANOVA test to study the disparity between expected results and actual results or to test a particular hypothesis. There are two main types of ANOVA test. The one-way ANOVA test is used when there is one variable in the equation. The two-way ANOVA is used when the dependent variable is influenced by two variables.