SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientists) is powerful statistical and graphing software that allows analysis of data sets.

SPSS Will:
  • Do complex statistical analyses in a few seconds.
  • Produce graphs
    SPSS Will Not:
  • Decide what test needs to be done in a particular situation.
  • Interpret your results.

    • Data Set entry is done through the graphical user interface which has two views which can be toggled by clicking on the two tabs in the bottom left of the SPSS window. The 'Data View' shows a spreadsheet view of the cases (rows) and variables (columns). The 'Variable View' displays the metadata dictionary where each row represents a variable and shows the variable name, variable label, value label(s), print width, measurement type and a variety of other characteristics. Cells in both views can be manually edited, defining the file structure and allowing data entry without using command sytax. Data in SPSS is saved as a *.sav file.

    Statistical output is to a proprietary file format (*.spo file, supporting pivot tables) for which, in addition to the in-package viewer, a stand-alone reader is provided. The proprietary output of data tables and graphs can be exported to text or Microsoft Word.

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    SPSS functions are accesses through the menu options.

    Data sets may be entered by hand or by importing.

    IMPORTANT: Ensure that you are meeting the assumptions of a test before you run it!

    Anaysis of data using Analyze Menu Option.

    The PDF listed below shows how to create:

  • 1. A simple bar chart.
  • 2. A clustered bar chart.
  • 3. Line graphs.
  • Also documented is getting Graphs to word.

    PDF of Graphing in SPSS
    (Source: Graham Hole, Department of Psychology, University of Sussex, October 2006.)

    Assistance with statistical analyses can be obtained in the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CIR) located in RNS207.

    General layout of this page came from an Introduction to SPSS which is a good introduction to the features of SPSS.
    (Source: Dr Andy Field : Psychology : University of Sussex)

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