How to interpret Spearman Correlation

Hi Shahab,

This test shows that there is some positive statistical correlation, BUT
the p-value of the test - this is, the level of significance - shows that
the correlation is not statistically significant at 95% confidence level.
So, the correlation may be equal to zero.

To understand this concepts in a good way, you need to be secure about
variance and hypothesis test.

I can help you more if you need. Send me a direct mail (this list is for
doubts about R, not conceptual statistics). I will be happy to help you
with Statistics.

My e-mail: saldanha.plangeo at gmail.com

On Tue, Nov 1, 2011 at 8:58 PM, shahab <shahab.mokari at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

I am not really familiar with Correlation foundations, although I read
a lot. So maybe if someone kindly help me to interpret the following
results.
I had the following R commands:

correlation <-cor( vector_CitationProximity , vector_Impact, method =
"spearman", use="na.or.complete")
cor_test<-cor.test(vector_CitationProximity, vector_Impact,
method="spearman")

and the results are:
"correlation"
Correlation =  0.04715686

"cor_test"
Spearman's rank correlation rho

data:  vector_CitationProximity and vector_Impact
S = 5581032104, p-value = 0.008736
alternative hypothesis: true rho is not equal to 0
sample estimates:
     rho
0.04582115


So apparently, there is positive correlation between two given
variables since Correlation =  0.04715686  > 0
However I couldn't interpret the significance ?' what does "rho" say?
Is there any simple sample that I can read and try to understand? I am
do confused in understanding how significance can be interpreted.

Thanks,

/Shahab

-- 
Atenciosamente,

Raphael Saldanha
saldanha.plangeo at gmail.com

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