Factor analysis is an analytic technique that permits the reduction of a large number of correlated variables to a smaller number of latent dimensions. The goal of factor analysis is to achieve parsimony by using the smallest number of explanatory concepts to explain the maximum amount of common variance in a correlation matrix. In this article, we provide an overview of factor analysis techniques. We provide a conceptual explanation of factor analysis, a discussion of the relation of factor analysis to other multivariate techniques, and an explanation of characteristics of the data to consider in determining the appropriateness of factor analysis. We review considerations in making decisions about communality estimates, methods of factor extraction, the number of factors to rotate, and methods of factor rotation. We conclude with suggestions on how to interpret factor analysis results, calculate factor scores, and report factor analysis results.

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The institutional affiliation of each author was tabulated for the major articles, brief reports, unsolicited comments, and contributions classified as research frontier or research methodology that appeared in Volumes 1-24 of the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP), Separate tabulations were made for most institutions, but the contributions of the following types of institutions were combined within type: community colleges, community mental health centers, correctional institutions, medical hospitals, public schools, religious organizations, and Veterans Administration facilities. The data are summarized for the formative years of the journal (Volumes 1-8), the period of transition to an APA journal (Volumes 9-16), the most recent 8-year period (Volumes 17-24), and the first 24 years of publication. The data are also tabulated for the 4 latest volumes (21-24) in order to obtain a clearer picture of recent trends in institutional contributions. The 15 leading institutional contributors are rank ordered, and the number of contributions are reported within each time period. In addition, the impact of reassignment of credit for dissertation-related research on institutional productivity is studied. The relationship between institutional contributions to JCP and the preceived prestige of the institution is also investigated.