SPSS LAB Manual- (Math312)-Week 1
[Link] is SPSS?
[Link] data terms
[Link] and data definitions
4. Questionnaire design for data entry
5. Sort Cases, Select Cases, Split File, Merge Files
What is SPSS
SPSS is short for Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and it’s used by various kinds of
researchers for complex statistical data analysis.
The SPSS software package was created for the management and statistical analysis of social
science data. It was originally launched in 1968 by SPSS Inc., and was later acquired by IBM in
2009.
Officially dubbed IBM SPSS Statistics, most users still refer to it as SPSS. As the world standard
for social science data analysis, SPSS is widely coveted due it’s straightforward and English-like
command language and impressively thorough user manual.
SPSS data terms
[ to be discussed in the lab]
How to open new data file?
How to save data file?
How to save output file?
How to open existing file?
Variables and data definitions
Data View: This view displays the actual data values or defined value labels.
Variable View: This view displays variable definition information. (Name, Type, Width, Decimals,
Label, Values, Missing, Columns, Align and Measure).
Variable names should satisfy the following conditions:
No spaces (can use underscores)
Cannot begin with a special character nor with a number
Each variable name must be unique.
not case sensitive
Measures:
Scale: Numeric variables that measuring quantity. e.g. number of people, number of things,
age, distance, weight, area, amount of money etc., (This includes interval and ratio type
measures from statistics)
Ordinal: Qualitative variables whose categories represent a level of the variable being
measured. e.g, education level, level of satisfaction, (rating scale questions) (the order of the
values is what’s important and significant,)
Nominal : Qualitative variables whose values do not represent any ranking e.g. sex, race, tribe,
country, district, religious affiliation etc.,
Sort Cases, Select Cases, Split File, Merge
Files
Data Define variable properties Select variables to scan
Data Sort case [Sort case by ascending or descending order]
Data Sort variable [Sort variable by Name, Type, etc.
ascending or descending order]
Data Select case [select if condition, select variable, set
the value, continue, OK]
Data Split file [analyse all cases or compare groups or organize output by groups] select
variable ok.
Data merge files [add cases or add variable]
Add cases :
Combining files with the same fields but additional rows
Add Variables:
Combining files by joining variables to a target file
Three joining methods
Questionnaire design for data entry
Survey“Smoking Habits” [Create Survey questionaire,
Enter the data in SPSS, Analyze]
Imaginethat you interviewed some people on their
smoking habits using the questions shown below:
Sample Problems
Question 1:
Using SPSS create survey about “smoking habits” or “eating habits”, etc.
Question 2: Use data file of “[Link]”,
a) Sort variable by name or type etc.
b) Sort case “Gender” or “Region”, etc.
Question 3: Use data file, “[Link]”
a) Using select case command in SPSS select “male”; if (sex = 1).
b) Using select case command in SPSS select “female”; if (sex = 2).
c) Using select case command in SPSS select “age more than 40”; if
(age > 40)
d) Using select case command in SPSS select “income less than 1000”; (income < 1000).
e) Using select case command in SPSS select “male and age less than 50”; (sex = 0 and age < 50).
f) Using select case command in SPSS select “female or income more than 2000”;