The package provides access to a wide range of statistical procedures, with the design and analysis of experiments a major strength, and facilities also available for statistical modelling, time series, spatial analysis and many other specialist areas. The menu-based interface enables inexperienced users to access most of these facilities a select from various sensible options, while more experienced users can use the underlying programming language to develop more complex analyses.
Although it is menu-based it includes a programming language that allows development of novel statistical analysis approaches.
Includes a good graphical capability and easy transfer of data to and from other packages, including Excel. A focus of the development team is in encouraging “good statistical practise”, rather than the simple application of statistical methods!

GenStat was developed within the agricultural
research community in the UK and Australasia but is now much more widely used
in a range of research environments, and is increasingly being used in
academia. An initial focus on designed
experiments has now expanded to cover most main-stream statistical methods. A recent innovation is the “Teaching and
Learning” version that provides a “cut-down version of the software for use in
schools and taught university courses.

GenStat is marketed by VSN International (http://www.vsni.co.uk/), their website contains a range of additional resources including access to taught courses using the software, and for teaching.