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Summary guide to SPSS tutorials
[Page last updated 18 July 2011]
The tutorials and exercises are arranged in four main blocks, following the usual research sequence of data capture, data processing and data analysis, with occasional (cynical, wise and experienced) comments thrown in from time to time on problem formulation, research design and survey practice as well as on how SPSS works (or not!).
Most exercises and examples relate to SPSS/PASW 18 or IBM SPSS Statistics 19, and a few to SPSS 15, but they should all work with earlier releases. Only the screenshots are different. There's a pencil and paper exercise for you to complete at the beginning, but after that, all tutorials and exercises use actual data from real (major) surveys.
[NB: All downloadable tutorials are set in 11-point Arial and optimised for printing on European A4 sheet size (297 x 210 mm). They are legible even if printed two pages to a sheet. Files prepared up to June 2011 are in *.doc format from Word 2003.
As of June 2011 I am using Word 2007 which can save files in genuine *.pdf format with fully functioning hyperlinks. These retain all original page formatting and are much quicker to display. They will gradually replace files in *.doc format]
There is a full Detailed guide to SPSS tutorials containing all the contents of all the main menus. There are more than 400 pages (74 mb) of downloadable tutorials and supporting materials.
Block 1: From questionnaire to SPSS saved file
1.1: The language of survey analysis
1.2: How do data relate to questionnaires?
1.3: Reading raw data into SPSS
1.4: Completing your data dictionary
1.5: Utilities [still in preparation]
Block 2: Analysing one variable
2.1: Nominal and ordinal variables
2.2: Interval scale variables
2.3: Data transformations
Block 3: Analysing two variables (and sometimes three)
3.1 Contingency tables
3.2 Three variables
3.3 Multiple response
3.4 Comparing means
3.5: Conditional transformations
Block 4: Hypothesis testing
[Still in preparation: provisional contents]
4.1 Hypothesis testing
4.2a t-test and one way anova
4.2b Testing differences between three or more means
4.3 Chi-square
4.4 Regression and correlation
4.5 Association, structure and cause
Data sets and files used in tutorials and exercises
This a collection of raw data, SPSS syntax and SPSS saved files for you to download as and when needed and store on your own computer or on a CD. Facsimile questionnaires are not included here, but extracts and links are provided in tutorials as and when necessary.
Statistics notes to accompany course
These notes were originally written by Jim Ring, expressly for students (mainly, but not exclusively, in the social sciences) who found computers and statistics daunting: they will also be helpful for those teaching or advising such students. They are not intended to replace recommended textbooks, and should be used in conjuction with the explanations included in SPSS help. They were written long before the appearance of the original and much sought-after SPSS Guide to Data Analysis (Norusis, 1987 -1990, for SPSS-X) Later editions relating to SPSS13 onwards for Windows are less helpful for beginners using syntax.
The tutorials and exercises are arranged in four main blocks, following the usual research sequence of data capture, data processing and data analysis, with occasional (cynical, wise and experienced) comments thrown in from time to time on problem formulation, research design and survey practice as well as on how SPSS works (or not!).
Most exercises and examples relate to SPSS/PASW 18 or IBM SPSS Statistics 19, and a few to SPSS 15, but they should all work with earlier releases. Only the screenshots are different. There's a pencil and paper exercise for you to complete at the beginning, but after that, all tutorials and exercises use actual data from real (major) surveys.
[NB: All downloadable tutorials are set in 11-point Arial and optimised for printing on European A4 sheet size (297 x 210 mm). They are legible even if printed two pages to a sheet. Files prepared up to June 2011 are in *.doc format from Word 2003.
As of June 2011 I am using Word 2007 which can save files in genuine *.pdf format with fully functioning hyperlinks. These retain all original page formatting and are much quicker to display. They will gradually replace files in *.doc format]
There is a full Detailed guide to SPSS tutorials containing all the contents of all the main menus. There are more than 400 pages (74 mb) of downloadable tutorials and supporting materials.
Block 1: From questionnaire to SPSS saved file
1.1: The language of survey analysis
1.2: How do data relate to questionnaires?
1.3: Reading raw data into SPSS
1.4: Completing your data dictionary
1.5: Utilities [still in preparation]
Block 2: Analysing one variable
2.1: Nominal and ordinal variables
2.2: Interval scale variables
2.3: Data transformations
Block 3: Analysing two variables (and sometimes three)
3.1 Contingency tables
3.2 Three variables
3.3 Multiple response
3.4 Comparing means
3.5: Conditional transformations
Block 4: Hypothesis testing
[Still in preparation: provisional contents]
4.1 Hypothesis testing
4.2a t-test and one way anova
4.2b Testing differences between three or more means
4.3 Chi-square
4.4 Regression and correlation
4.5 Association, structure and cause
Data sets and files used in tutorials and exercises
This a collection of raw data, SPSS syntax and SPSS saved files for you to download as and when needed and store on your own computer or on a CD. Facsimile questionnaires are not included here, but extracts and links are provided in tutorials as and when necessary.
Statistics notes to accompany course
These notes were originally written by Jim Ring, expressly for students (mainly, but not exclusively, in the social sciences) who found computers and statistics daunting: they will also be helpful for those teaching or advising such students. They are not intended to replace recommended textbooks, and should be used in conjuction with the explanations included in SPSS help. They were written long before the appearance of the original and much sought-after SPSS Guide to Data Analysis (Norusis, 1987 -1990, for SPSS-X) Later editions relating to SPSS13 onwards for Windows are less helpful for beginners using syntax.
