Introduction to SPSS for Statistical Data Analysis

Introduction

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science) is a window-based versatile and responsive statistical tool developed by IBM in 1968 to support executing statistical procedures or calculations through data entry to create graphs and tables. The statistics tutoring London informs that SPSS is capable of managing large amounts of data within minutes to present effective SPSS data analysis.

The software is continuously updated each year and at intervals to ensure the best quality statistical analysis reports of data can be generated. It is the common tool used in performing statistical analysis in dissertations following quantitative research methods. The SPSS is often preferred for use by the statistics tutor London as it is straightforward and appropriately presents English-like commands to assist the users in easily understanding the way it is to be used for numerical analysis.

Ways to open SPSS:

The professionals offering SPSS statistics help inform SPSS could be opened in two ways:

1. In case the SPSS shortcut icon is present on the desktop, you have to simply double-click on the icon to open it.

2. In case the SPSS icon is not on the desktop, you are required to left-click the mouse on the start button and go to All programs. In there, the selection is to be made by scrolling down on the icon and selecting SPSS 20.0 by left-clicking on it.

Features of SPSS:

• The professionals offering statistics tutoring London inform that the data collection from surveys through Survey Gizmo is easily able to be exported to SPSS for performing detailed and effective analysis.
• The statistical analysis tutor informs that data in the SPSS is stored.SAV format. The data is mainly gathered from surveys and allows its analysis, manipulation and simplistically pulling of information.
• The statistical analysis tutor mentions that SPSS shows easy access to data that have different types of variables. They easily understand the variable data due to which the SPSS is used by researchers in performing statistical analysis as it supports automated management of statistics.
• There is no end to the way numerical data stored in the SPSS could be managed for varied statistical purposes according to the needs of the research.
• The statistics tutor London informs that SPSS uses a unique way to gather data which helps in better trend analysis, assumptions and predictive models in research. Moreover, SPSS is easier to use in performing data analysis and offers an in-depth ability to show the statistical capability to analyse the real outcome of the data.
• The statistics tutor London informs that SPSS assist in designing, plotting, reporting and presenting features for increased clarity.

Statistical Methods of SPSS:

• The professionals offering spss statistics help inform that the software could be used in predicting different data for identifying groups and involve methodologies like SPSS factor analysis, cluster analysis, etc.
• The professionals helping with SPSS statistics also indicate that descriptive statistics involving methodologies of SPSS help in developing frequency reports, cross-tabulation and presentation of descriptive ratio statistics that are extremely helpful.
• In addition, the professionals providing SPSS help indicate that bivariate statistics involving methodologies such as analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, non-parametric, mean, etc. can be performed through SPSS.
• The linear regression is also able to be determined through SPSS. 

SPSS view:

There are two types of view for the data in SPSS which are variable view and Data view.

Variable view features:

• Name: The professionals performing SPSS statistics mention that there is a column field present that accepts unique ID names. It assists in better sorting of data such as demographic parameters of subjects like age, name, gender and others in sorting data.
• Label: The labelling is suggesting and adding special characters in the SPSS table.
• Type: The type is effective when various types of data are included in the study.
• Decimal: After entering the value of the percentage, the type of data helps in deciding the range to which the digits could be defined after the decimal.
• Value: The value assists the users to include data points.
• Width: It allows measurement of the character length.
• Align: It helps in making proper alignment of data.
• Missing: It helps the people using SPSS to skip the inclusion of unnecessary data while performing SPSS data analysis.
• Measure: It involves measuring the data which has been entered in the cardinal, ordinal and nominal tools.
• Add-ons: It is used in SPSS as additional programs which generally the students have no access to.
• The window could be selected to view the data accordingly.
• Utilities help in listing the information from the file and storing it under labels, values, types and locations in the data file.
• Help provides many options according to professionals offering SPSS help to students. They help to assist in coaching the students regarding the way to resolve varied issues in using SPSS.
• Topics could be used in providing index options for typing any keyword and developing a list of options or the students can see the categories and subcategories which are present below the contents. It is an effective tool for troubleshooting many problems or issues.
• Graphs involve providing commands in developing various graphs like boxes, histograms, bar charts and line graphs.
• Transform involves various options for changing existing variables. For instance, it could be used in changing the continuous variables to differently categorise them along with support alteration in scoring ranks, adding constants to variables and others.
• The view helps in selecting specific toolbars, selecting font size, and font style or removing or adding gridlines in the data sheet.

Data View:

This shows rows and columns in the SPSS where data from varied areas are transported to measure and analyse facts to present outcomes. 

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that SPSS help in the improved collection and analysis of data for the study. It offers greater support in managing data and calculating outcomes compared to MS Excel. Moreover, it is easy to use and support the visualisation of specific data to appropriately interpret them with less to no error.