TRAINING IN DATA ANALYSIS (SPSS/ EXCEL):
SPSS SOFTWARE:
IBM Statistical Product And Service Solution (SPSS):
What is SPSS?
SPSS is a Software that is widely used as a Statistical Analytic Tool in the Field
of Social Science, Such as Market research, Surveys, Competitor Analysis, and
others.
SPSS Statistics is a statistical software suite developed by IBM for data
management, advanced analytics, multivariate analysis, business intelligence,
and criminal investigation.
It is a comprehensive and flexible statistical analysis and data management tool.
It is one of the most popular statistical packages which can perform highly
complex data manipulation and analysis with ease. It is designed for both
interactive and non-interactive users.
The software name originally stood for Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS), reflecting the original market, then later changed to IBM
Statistical Product and Service Solution.
Statistical software for Data Analysis.
One of the best software available for Data Analysis.
Features:
It is easy for you to learn and use.
It includes a lot of data management system and editing tools.
It offers you in-depth statistical capabilities.
It offers excellent plotting, reporting and presentation features.
ADVANTAGES:
The advantages of using SPSS as a software package compared to other are:
SPSS is a comprehensive statistical software.
Many complex statistical tests are available as a built in feature.
Interpretation of results is relatively easy.
Easily and quickly displays data tables.
Can be expanded.
It is most user friendly data analysis software.
It is able to handle huge data sets.
Users do not necessarily have to be a computer expert to grasp the concept.
It produces graphs and charts.
LIMITATIONS:
SPSS can be expensive to purchase for students.
Usually involves added training to completely exploit all the available
features.
The graph features are not as simple as of Microsoft Excel.
Risk of errors is high when used for data entry.
Does not permit skip instructions.
APPLICATIONS:
SPSS is a widely used program for statistical analysis in social science. It is also
used by market researchers, health researchers, survey companies, government,
education researchers, marketing organizations, data miners.
It is widely used in social economic & health research institutions, big
learning institutions e.g. HighImpact Institute Academy, Harvard
University, CDC, PPAZ, UN, MoH & UNZA.
Highly appreciated in Monitoring and Evaluation Research.
Widely used in Marketing & Business Research.
It is very helpful in decision making as you prepare for project planning and
implementation.
Very useful for making projections which are key for planning.
TYPES OF INFORMATION:
Knowing what type of information you need will help you decide which sources
to use.
There are four types of information:
Factual:
Factual information is information that solely deals with facts. It is short, non-
explanatory, and rarely gives in-depth background on a topic.
Example: George A. Romero directed Night of the Living Dead.
Example Factual Resources: Encyclopedias, Almanacs, Government Resources,
Statistics
Analytical:
Analytical information is the interpretation of factual information. What does
the factual information mean? What does it imply? This is the type of
information that researchers generate in their studies.
Example: According to a 2016 survey, pests are more frightening than
zombies.1
Example Analytical Resources: Scholarly Journals. Academic and Scholarly
Books. Library Databases. Some scholarly websites.
Subjective:
Subjective information is information from only one point of view. Opinions are
always subjective.
Example: Z-Nation was an entertaining show that should have never been
canceled.
Example Subjective Resources: Websites, Blogs, Social Media, Non-scholarly
Books and Journals. Book Reviews.
Objective:
Objective information is information that is understood from multiple
viewpoints and presents all sides of an argument.
Example: While April enjoys zombie films, many people find them violent,
pointless, and unnecessarily gory.
Example Objective Resources: Books, Journal Articles, Newspapers, Library
Databases including Opposing Viewpoints and Facts on File.
When dealing with datasets, the category of data plays an important role to
determine which preprocessing strategy would work for a particular set to get
the right results or which type of statistical analysis should be applied for the
best results.
THANK YOU!
SELF ASSESSMENT:
1. What is SPSS?
2. State One (1) advantages of using SPSS as a software package?
3. What is Factual information?