# Beta diversity: within and between group calculation
**URL:** https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197
**Category:** User Support
**Tags:** beta
**Created:** [June 12, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197 "2019-06-12T11:25:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@2508](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/2508)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197/1 "2019-06-12T11:25:39Z")
Hi
For beta diversity analysis I would like to calculate within vs between or between vs between. the result that I getting using the beta\_group\_significance command (at the bottom of the page) are what? between vs. between?
and how can I calculate the other options?
Thanks
Atara
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### Author:  [@colinbrislawn](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/colinbrislawn)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197/2 "2019-06-12T17:30:28Z")
Hello Atara,
> [@2508](#):
>
> between vs. between?
Both!
There are some examples of this in the [Moving Picture tutorial](https://docs.qiime2.org/2019.4/tutorials/moving-pictures/#alpha-and-beta-diversity-analysis).
I hope this helps!
Colin
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### Author:  [@2508](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/2508)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2019, 8:53am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197/3 "2019-06-13T08:53:15Z")
Hi
Thank you for your answer, I understand this part, I would like to know what the significant result at the bottom of the page represent? between vs between ?
what those results ( the significant table at the bottom) telling me?
I hope I explained myself better now
Atara
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### Author:  [@colinbrislawn](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/colinbrislawn)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197/4 "2019-06-13T15:47:45Z")
Ah OK. The pairwise permanova results at the bottom of the page compares _between_ Group 1 and Group 2, and tests to see if they are statistically significantly different.
If you want to post an example, I can explain it in more detail. Or we can have a real statistician explain more.
Colin
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### Author:  [@Nicholas\_Bokulich](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Nicholas_Bokulich)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2019, 8:41pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197/5 "2019-06-13T20:41:59Z")
> [@2508](#):
>
> what those results ( the significant table at the bottom) telling me?
the between-group distances and dispersion are larger than the within-group distances and dispersion.
> **[Permutational analysis of variance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permutational_analysis_of_variance)**
>
> Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), is a non-parametric multivariate statistical permutation test. PERMANOVA is used to compare groups of objects and test the null hypothesis that the centroids and dispersion of the groups as defined by measure space are equivalent for all groups. A rejection of the null hypothesis means that either the centroid and/or the spread of the objects is different between the groups. Hence the test is based on the prior calculation of the dis In...
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2019, 2:42am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/beta-diversity-within-and-between-group-calculation/10197/6 "2019-07-15T02:42:01Z")
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