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Old Dog, Old Tricks
I took on this project after my experience of learning and using SPSS for Windows in 2002 when reviewing Julie Pallant's SPSS Survival Manual (1st edition, Open University Press, 2001 which used SPSS 11: there is now a 4th revised edition, Allen and Unwin, 2010 for SPSS 18). Before 2002 I had no previous experience of SPSS for Windows (I'd been a user of SPSS since1972, but only ever on mainframes, and not since 1992 when I took early retirement) and had only used DOS and WordStar on a PC, let alone Windows, Word or PowerPoint,
I cannot describe how much stress this entailed. I came to hate the indiscriminate use of mouse and drop-down menus, so check out the apposite mouse movie to see how I felt, then read the paper and/or watch the slide shows and learn a thing or two! The whole thing took hundreds of hours spread over several months: altogether a very steep learning curve and extremely painful until I bought a wrist pad! However it was a worthwhile exercise and led directly to the development of this website.
This presentation was specially prepared for the annual meeting of ASSESS (European SPSS users) held at the University of York in 2006. It draws on my experiences: first, of using SPSS (from 1972 to 1993, and on a range of mainframe computers) to process and analyse dozens of surveys: second, of training several hundred researchers and students in the use of SPSS via the hands-on Survey Analysis Workshop I developed and taught at the Polytechnic of North London from 1976 to 1992 when I took early retirement: third (from 2002 to 2006) of using SPSS11 for Windows to restore, convert and update surveys and training materials: fourth, of using SPSS to explore data files from major surveys in the in the public domain: fifth, of wrestling with the wretched mouse to replicate drop-down menu exercises from the early part of Julie Pallant’s SPSS Survival Manual (Open University Press, 1st edition 2001 and 2nd edition, 2004) when, most of the time, it’s much easier and far quicker to use direct syntax.
It covers:
1: Survey processing before SPSS (and computers).
Origins of SPSS and its arrival in the UK.
2: Conventions for design and construction of SPSS saved files, layout of SPSS setup files, naming and
labelling of variables, documentation, and a trick or two.
Changes to SPSS syntax and output format over
the years.
Development of, and constraints on, design and delivery of courses and training materials.
3: Critical examination of SPSS usage in major surveys (eg British Social Attitudes 1987, European Social
Survey 2002)
4: Comparisons of syntax with point-and-click for ease of use, clarity and speed.
5: Execution of, and detailed commentary on, exercises from Julie Pallant SPSS Survival Manual
(1st editon 2001 and 2nd edition, 2005)
For each section, there are separate accompanying slide shows (good fun: listed below)
Old Dog, Old Tricks: Using SPSS syntax to defeat the mouse trap
Abstract and contents (2pp) [pdf] [doc]
Main paper (77pp, ) [pdf] [doc]
Full text of main presentation to ASSESS (SPSS Users) York Univ. (UK) Dec 2006 (4606 kb)
Appendices are in pdf format.
Appendix 1 How SPSS came to the UK
Appendix 2 Survey Analysis Workshop (Original syllabus and specimen assessment, 1991-92)
Appendix 3 Forensic notes (blow-by-blow account of heroic efforts to learn Windows, Word and SPSS
for Windows by retrieving and re-processing my old surveys),
Slide-shows: (The first one is fun and not fully covered in the text: there's a joke at the end of the fifth one, but will you get it?)
1: Survey processing before SPSS (and personal computers). Origins of SPSS and its arrival in the UK.
2: Layout of SPSS setup files Conventions for design and construction of SPSS saved files, naming and
labelling of variables, documentation, and a trick or two.
Changes to SPSS syntax and output format over the years.
Development of, and constraints on, design and delivery of courses and training materials.
3: SPSS usage in major surveys Critical examination of SPSS usage in British Social Attitudes 1987 and
European Social Survey 2002.
4: Comparisons of syntax with point-and-click for ease of use, clarity and speed.
5: Exercises from Julie Pallant SPSS Survival Manual Execution of, and detailed commentary on,
exercises in the 1st edition 2001 and 2nd edition, 2004.
I cannot describe how much stress this entailed. I came to hate the indiscriminate use of mouse and drop-down menus, so check out the apposite mouse movie to see how I felt, then read the paper and/or watch the slide shows and learn a thing or two! The whole thing took hundreds of hours spread over several months: altogether a very steep learning curve and extremely painful until I bought a wrist pad! However it was a worthwhile exercise and led directly to the development of this website.
This presentation was specially prepared for the annual meeting of ASSESS (European SPSS users) held at the University of York in 2006. It draws on my experiences: first, of using SPSS (from 1972 to 1993, and on a range of mainframe computers) to process and analyse dozens of surveys: second, of training several hundred researchers and students in the use of SPSS via the hands-on Survey Analysis Workshop I developed and taught at the Polytechnic of North London from 1976 to 1992 when I took early retirement: third (from 2002 to 2006) of using SPSS11 for Windows to restore, convert and update surveys and training materials: fourth, of using SPSS to explore data files from major surveys in the in the public domain: fifth, of wrestling with the wretched mouse to replicate drop-down menu exercises from the early part of Julie Pallant’s SPSS Survival Manual (Open University Press, 1st edition 2001 and 2nd edition, 2004) when, most of the time, it’s much easier and far quicker to use direct syntax.
It covers:
1: Survey processing before SPSS (and computers).
Origins of SPSS and its arrival in the UK.
2: Conventions for design and construction of SPSS saved files, layout of SPSS setup files, naming and
labelling of variables, documentation, and a trick or two.
Changes to SPSS syntax and output format over
the years.
Development of, and constraints on, design and delivery of courses and training materials.
3: Critical examination of SPSS usage in major surveys (eg British Social Attitudes 1987, European Social
Survey 2002)
4: Comparisons of syntax with point-and-click for ease of use, clarity and speed.
5: Execution of, and detailed commentary on, exercises from Julie Pallant SPSS Survival Manual
(1st editon 2001 and 2nd edition, 2005)
For each section, there are separate accompanying slide shows (good fun: listed below)
Old Dog, Old Tricks: Using SPSS syntax to defeat the mouse trap
Abstract and contents (2pp) [pdf] [doc]
Main paper (77pp, ) [pdf] [doc]
Full text of main presentation to ASSESS (SPSS Users) York Univ. (UK) Dec 2006 (4606 kb)
Appendices are in pdf format.
Appendix 1 How SPSS came to the UK
Appendix 2 Survey Analysis Workshop (Original syllabus and specimen assessment, 1991-92)
Appendix 3 Forensic notes (blow-by-blow account of heroic efforts to learn Windows, Word and SPSS
for Windows by retrieving and re-processing my old surveys),
Slide-shows: (The first one is fun and not fully covered in the text: there's a joke at the end of the fifth one, but will you get it?)
1: Survey processing before SPSS (and personal computers). Origins of SPSS and its arrival in the UK.
2: Layout of SPSS setup files Conventions for design and construction of SPSS saved files, naming and
labelling of variables, documentation, and a trick or two.
Changes to SPSS syntax and output format over the years.
Development of, and constraints on, design and delivery of courses and training materials.
3: SPSS usage in major surveys Critical examination of SPSS usage in British Social Attitudes 1987 and
European Social Survey 2002.
4: Comparisons of syntax with point-and-click for ease of use, clarity and speed.
5: Exercises from Julie Pallant SPSS Survival Manual Execution of, and detailed commentary on,
exercises in the 1st edition 2001 and 2nd edition, 2004.
