Block 1: From questionnaire to SPSS saved file

 [Page last updated 23 August 2011]

All tutorials and exercises on this page are now in pdf format and will display more or less immediately.  All raw data, SPSS saved files and key syntax files can be found on data sets and documents, but you'll learn a lot more if you do all the exercises yourself instead of copying them.

                                                                                  
1.1:  The language of survey analysis

1.1.1 Pre-course questionnaire on interests and skills                                                   
        (Print up and complete, with up to 9 of your fellow students and/or colleagues)
1.1.2 Introduction to survey data                                                                              
        (Essential reading)
1.1.3 Introduction to the use of computers in survey analysis                                
         (Highly recommended reading)

1.2:  How do data relate to questionnaires?

1.2.1 Data transfer sheet                                                                                        
          (Print up, then write in the coded data from your completed questionnaire(s))
1.2.2 Preliminary data exercise                                                                            
          (Type data from your transfer sheet into a *.txt file and save it)
1.2.3 First look at real data from a major survey                                                      
         (British Social Attitudes 1986)
1.2.4 Second look at data from a major survey                                                    
          (British Social Attitudes 1989)

1.3:  Reading raw data into SPSS

1.3.1 Conventions for Naming Variables in SPSS                                                       
1.3.2 Cumulative data from pre-course questionnaire     [txt file containing raw data]
1.3.3.1 Preparing the ground                                                                                     
1.3.3.2 Introduction to SPSS syntax  
1.3.3.3.First shot at writing SPSS syntax  
1.3.3.4 First shot at running SPSS   
1.3.3.5 Checking your data  
1.3.3.6 SPSS for real - my first saved file  [Tutorial]   
1.3.3.7 SPSS for real - my first saved file   [Exercise]  
1.3.3.8 Checking your data (again)    
1.3.3.9 Some general advice on file building in SPSS   

1.4:  Completing your data dictionary

1.4.1 Labelling your variables in SPSS   
1.4.2 Labelling your values in SPSS   
1.4.3 Missing values - a note