Introduction

Introduction

Initial Display

When SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is first entered the display will be similar to Figure 1 below:

Figure 1

SPSS is a Windows package. Thus the menu features, File, Edit, Window, & Help are similar to other Windows applications, eg Microsoft Word.

On entry 2 windows are opened:

Newdata:	This will display the data you wish to analyze.
	Only one data file may be open at any one time.
!Output:	The results from all analysis will be placed in this window.

Data Management

Data is stored in the Newdata window as variables in distinct columns. On first entering SPSS, all columns are empty and are labeled in light grey 'var'. Row numbers are given down the left side of the window. Data from only one person or unit should be stored in each row.

Entering data

To create a new column of data double click on the 'var' label above one of the empty columns to give Figure 2:

Figure 2

Replace 'VAR00001' with the name of your choice, for example height (no longer than 8 characters).
Click on Type... to change the type of value entered (eg a Date, String, or to change the number of decimal places).
Variables may be either quantitative (eg height or age) or qualitative (eg sex or area of residence).

Numeric values should be used in preference to string values. (eg. enter '1' or '0' instead of M or F for Male/Female). If variables are qualitative then Labels may be used to give a label to each value (eg 1 - Male; 0 - Female).
When the definition is complete click on OK to return to the data window.

Example

ID	Age	Height	Weight
1	19	1.58m	65kg
2	23	1.67m	70kg
3	20	1.63m	72kg
4	22	1.73m	75kg

The above data should be entered in SPSS to give the following Figure 3:

Figure 3

A variable may sometimes be re-defined after data has been entered by double-clicking on the name.

Saving Data

From the data window, data is saved as an SPSS data file by using the menu option File, followed by Save or if you want to change the name or format of the data Save As... (Figure 5).
Data may be retrieved from a SPSS data file. This is done by again using the File menu option from the data window (Figure 4), Open. The Data option will then prompt you for a file name.
Data stored in other than SPSS for Windows format may be retrieved by changing the File Type option in the bottom left hand corner of the Open data file window.

Figure 4

Figure 5