SPSS Statistics for Dummies, 3rd Edition

Book description

The ultimate beginner's guide to SPSS and statistical analysis SPSS Statistics For Dummies is the fun and friendly guide to mastering SPSS. This book contains everything you need to know to get up and running quickly with this industry-leading software, with clear, helpful guidance on working with both the software and your data. Every chapter of this new edition has been updated with screenshots and steps that align with SPSS 23.0. You'll learn how to set up the software and organize your workflow, then delve deep into analysis to discover the power of SPSS capabilities. You'll discover the mechanics behind the calculations, perform predictive analysis, produce informative graphs, and maximize your data, even if it's been awhile since your last statistics class. SPSS is the leading statistical software for social sciences, marketing, health care, demography, government, education, data mining, and more. This powerful package gives you the tools you need to get more out of your data, and this book is your beginner-friendly guide to getting the most out of the software. Install and configure SPSS and learn the basics of how it works Master the process of getting data into SPSS and manipulating it to produce results See how to display data in dozens of different graphic formats to fit specific needs Make SPSS manufacture the numbers you want and take advantage of the many analysis options Discover ways to customize the SPSS interface and the look of your results, edit graphics and pivot tables, and program SPSS with Command Syntax Statistical analysis is crucial to so many industries, and accuracy and efficiency are crucial. SPSS offers you the capability to deliver, but you still must know how to take utmost advantage of the tools at your fingertips. SPSS Statistics For Dummies shows you how to handle data like a pro, with step-by-step instruction and expert advice.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part I: Getting Started with SPSS
      1. Chapter 1: Introducing SPSS
        1. Garbage In, Garbage Out: Recognizing the Importance of Good Data
        2. Talking to SPSS: Can You Hear Me Now?
        3. How SPSS Works
        4. Getting Help When You Need It
      2. Chapter 2: Installing SPSS
        1. Getting SPSS onto Your Computer
        2. Starting SPSS
      3. Chapter 3: A Simple Statistical Analysis Example
        1. When the Tanana at Nenana Thaws
        2. Entering the Data
        3. The Most Likely Hour
        4. Transforming Data
        5. The Two Kinds of Numbers
        6. The Day It’s Most Likely to Happen
    4. Part II: Getting Data in and out of SPSS
      1. Chapter 4: Entering and Defining Data
        1. Entering Variable Definitions on the Variable View Tab
        2. Entering and Viewing Data Items on the Data View Tab
        3. Filling In Missed Categorical Values
      2. Chapter 5: Opening Data Files
        1. Getting Acquainted with the SPSS File Format
        2. Formatting a Text File for Input into SPSS
        3. Reading Simple Data from a Text File
        4. Transferring Data from Another Program
        5. Saving Data and Images
      3. Chapter 6: Getting Data and Results out of SPSS
        1. Printing
        2. Exporting to a Database
        3. Using SPSS Statistics Viewer
        4. Creating a Graphics File
        5. Creating a Web Report File
      4. Chapter 7: More About Defining Your Data
        1. Working with Dates and Times
        2. Using the Date Time Wizard
        3. Creating and Using a Multiple-Response Set
        4. Copying Data Properties
    5. Part III: Messing with Data in SPSS
      1. Chapter 8: The Transform and Data Menus
        1. Sorting Cases
        2. Selecting the Data You Want to Look At
        3. Splitting Your Data for Easier Analysis
        4. Counting Case Occurrences
        5. Recoding Variables
        6. Binning
      2. Chapter 9: Using Functions
        1. The LENGTH Function
        2. The ANY Function
        3. The MEAN Function and Missing Data
      3. Chapter 10: Manipulating Files
        1. Merging Files Adding Cases
        2. Merging Files Adding Variables
    6. Part IV: Graphing Data
      1. Chapter 11: On the Menu: Graphing Choices in SPSS
        1. Building Graphs the Chart Builder Way
        2. Building Graphs with the Graphboard Template Chooser
      2. Chapter 12: Building Graphs Using the Chart Builder
        1. Simple Graphs
        2. Fancy Graphs
    7. Part V: Analyzing Data
      1. Chapter 13: Using Descriptive Statistics
        1. Looking at Levels of Measurement
        2. Focusing on Frequencies for Categorical Variables
        3. Understanding Frequencies for Continuous Variables
        4. Summarizing Continuous Variables with the Descriptives Procedure
      2. Chapter 14: Showing Relationships between Categorical Dependent and Independent Variables
        1. Testing a Hypothesis to See If It’s Right
        2. Conducting Inferential Tests
        3. Running the Crosstabs Procedure
      3. Chapter 15: Showing Relationships between Continuous Dependent and Categorical Independent Variables
        1. Hypothesis Testing Revisited
        2. Using the Compare Means Dialog Box
        3. Running the Independent-Samples T-Test Procedure
        4. Running the Summary Independent-Samples T-Test Procedure
      4. Chapter 16: Showing Relationships between Continuous Dependent and Independent Variables
        1. Running the Bivariate Procedure
        2. Running the Linear Regression Procedure
    8. Part VI: Making SPSS Your Own: Settings, Templates, and Looks
      1. Chapter 17: Changing Settings
        1. General Options
        2. Language Options
        3. Viewer Options
        4. Data Options
        5. Currency Options
        6. Output Options
        7. Chart Options
        8. Pivot Tables Options
        9. File Locations Options
        10. Scripts Options
        11. Multiple Imputations Options
        12. Syntax Editor Options
      2. Chapter 18: Editing Charts and Chart Templates
        1. Changing and Editing Axes
        2. Changing Style: Lines and Symbols
        3. Applying Templates
      3. Chapter 19: Editing Tables
        1. Working with TableLooks
        2. Style Output
        3. Pivoting Trays
    9. Part VII: Programming SPSS with Command Syntax
      1. Chapter 20: Getting Acquainted with Syntax
        1. Pasting
        2. Labeling
        3. Repeatedly Generating the Same Reports
        4. Opening and Saving Files
      2. Chapter 21: Adding Syntax to Your Toolkit
        1. Your Wish Is My Command
        2. Using Keywords
        3. Working with Variables and Constants
        4. Declaring Data
        5. Commenting Your Way to Clarity
        6. Executing Commands
        7. Controlling Flow and Executing Conditionals
    10. Part VIII: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 22: Ten (Or So) Modules You Can Add to SPSS
        1. The Advanced Statistics Module
        2. The Custom Tables Module
        3. The Regression Module
        4. The Categories Module
        5. The Data Preparation Module
        6. The Decision Trees Module
        7. The Forecasting Module
        8. The Missing Values Module
        9. The Bootstrapping Module
        10. The Complex Samples Module
        11. The Conjoint Module
        12. The Direct Marketing Module
        13. The Exact Tests Module
        14. The Neural Networks Module
        15. Amos
        16. The Sample Power Module
        17. The Visualization Designer Module
      2. Chapter 23: Ten (Or So) Useful SPSS Online Resources
        1. The Statistics & Consultants Group on LinkedIn
        2. SPSSX-L
        3. IBM SPSS Statistics Certification
        4. Online Videos
        5. Twitter
        6. Blogs
        7. Online Courses with Live Instruction
        8. Tutorials
        9. SPSS Programming and Data Management: A Guide for SPSS and SAS Users
      3. Chapter 24: Ten Professional Development Projects for SPSS Users
        1. The Case Studies
        2. Syntax
        3. IBM SPSS Tables
        4. Data Visualization
        5. Better Presentations
        6. R
        7. Graphics Production Language
        8. Output Management System
        9. Python Programs
        10. Python Scripting
    11. Glossary
    12. About the Authors
    13. Cheat Sheet
    14. Connect with Dummies
    15. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: SPSS Statistics for Dummies, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): Keith McCormick, Jesus Salcedo, Aaron Poh
  • Release date: June 2015
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781118989012