In 1861, the year of his marriage, Spottiswoode published On typical mountain ranges: an application of the calculus of probabilities to physical geography, which attempted to use statistical methods to determine whether the mountain ranges of Asia had been formed by one or several causes. Francis Galton said that this paper had been his inspiration to apply statistics to the social sciences.
Sa 1861, ang taon ng kanyang kasal, Spottiswoode-publish Sa karaniwang bundok mga saklaw: ang isang application ng calculus ng probabilities sa pisikal na heograpiya, na tinangka na gamitin ang statistical paraan upang matukoy kung ang mga bundok saklaw ng Asya had been nabuo sa pamamagitan ng isa o ilan pang dahilan. Francis Galton sinabi na ito ay may papel na kanyang inspirasyon na mag-aplay ang mga istatistika sa siyensiya panlipunan.