Introduction to SPSS Written by: Emory Morrison Center for Social Science Computation & Research 145 Savery Hall University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 U.S.A. (206)543-8110 October 99 http://augustus.csscr.washington.edu/pdf/spss.pdf CSSCR SPSS 10/19/99 EM Page 1 of 14 INTRODUCTION TO SPSS SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is a versatile software package which primarily assists users in performing complex statistical analyses of quantitative data sets. The software allows users to create, modify, and analyze data, as well as to produce graphics to display findings in reports or presentations. SPSS is comparable to other general statistical analysis software such as SAS, Stata, or S-Plus. Relative to these other software packages, SPSS is easier to learn and more simple to use. However, it is more restrictive than the other statistics packages; advanced users have a tougher time tailoring SPSS to meet their specialized analytical needs. This document should help new users get started in SPSS. It is structured in question and answer format, and addresses in a logical sequence the questions that a new user might have. Once you are on your way, (or if you already have a basic knowledge of SPSS), you can use the set of manuals that SPSS provides, the help features within SPSS, or run the SPSS on-line tutorial for more comprehensive guidance. Please note, at the time of the writing of this document, CSSCR is using version 9.0 of SPSS software. All information in this document will pertain to SPSS version 9.0. How do I start using SPSS at CSSCR? SPSS (version 9.0) is on all the PCs in CSSCR. The process of launching the software is the same as for any other frequently used package in the lab. At the initial window (once Windows has been launched) find the SPSS icon. Double click with your mouse, and voila. This screen is the data editor window in SPSS. It is one of a seven basic windows that SPSS provides (other windows include: the output viewe