Abstract

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is a complex, multi-step process. The goal of this paper is to collect, in one article, information that will allow researchers and practitioners to understand the various choices available through popular software packages, and to make decisions about “best practices” in exploratory factor analysis. In particular, this paper provides practical information on making decisions regarding (a) extraction, (b) rotation, (c) the number of factors to interpret, and (d) sample size.

Keywords

Exploratory factor analysisFactor (programming language)Exploratory analysisComputer sciencePsychologyStatisticsData scienceMathematicsStructural equation modelingProgramming language

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Publication Info

Year
2020
Type
article
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
1-9
Citations
9998
Access
Closed

Social Impact

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

9998
OpenAlex
1577
Influential

Cite This

Anna B. Costello, Jason W. Osborne (2020). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Scholarworks (University of Massachusetts Amherst) , 10 (1) , 1-9. https://doi.org/10.7275/jyj1-4868

Identifiers

DOI
10.7275/jyj1-4868

Data Quality

Data completeness: 77%