How to Run an Analysis in SPSS Statistics

After you bring data into SPSS Statistics, the next step is to select a procedure. The Analyze menu contains a list of reporting and statistical analysis categories. Most of the categories are followed by an arrow, which indicates that several analytical procedures are available in the category; these appear on a submenu when the category is selected. To select a procedure, choose Analyze, an analysis category, and then the procedure. The procedure dialog will open.

Most data files contain many variables and it's not always easy to remember the properties of each one. You may want to produce documentation, often referred to as a codebook, listing all the information about the variables in the data. SPSS provides the Codebook procedure for viewing variable attributes and reporting summary descriptive tables for each variable.

To create a Codebook, choose Analyze→Reports→Codebook, as shown.

The following figure shows the Codebook dialog. You’ll need to select the variables of interest and then run the analysis from the procedure dialog. Most procedure dialogs have the same basic components and contain a number of common features.

Each procedure dialog contains the following components:

• Source variables are variables available for the procedure.
• Target variables are variables used in the procedure. You’ll need to move the source variable(s) to the target variables box
• Control buttons run, reset, or cancel the procedure.
• Dialog tabs or buttons control optional specifications.

In the source and target variable lists, the variable label is shown, followed by the variable name in square brackets. If a variable doesn't have a label, only the variable name appears.

You can resize any SPSS dialog. If you make it larger, it's easier to see the variable list. In addition, right-click any variable in the source list to display a description of that variable. And if you are having trouble finding a variable in the source list, in most dialogs, you can type the first letter of the label to display matching variable labels. Repeatedly typing the letter will allow you to move through the list to each variable label beginning with that letter. If you're a fast typist, you can include multiple letters to better narrow your search for variables.

The icons displayed next to variables in the dialog provide information about the variable type and measurement level.

Because SPSS procedures provide a great deal of flexibility, the dialog often can't display all possible choices. The main dialog contains the minimum information required to run the procedure. You can make additional optional specifications in subdialogs. The subdialogs are accessed from the buttons located on the right side of the main dialog or tabs at the top of the dialog.

The name of subdialog if often similar to the name of the equivalent subcommands in SPSS Syntax.

Instead of an OK button, subdialogs have a Continue button, to return to the main dialog. The control buttons that appear along the bottom of the dialog instruct SPSS to perform an action:

• OK runs the procedure. The OK button is disabled (appears dimmed) until the minimum dialog requirements are completed.
• Reset resets all specifications made in the dialog and associated subdialogs and keeps the dialog open.
• Cancel cancels the selections and closes the dialog without running the procedure.
• Help opens the SPSS Help facility with help relevant to the current dialog.
• Paste: Pastes SPSS syntax for commands into the Syntax Editor window.

In the Codebook procedure, you’ll need to select the variables to display. You can run the codebook on selected variables or on all variables in the file.

1. In the Variables box, click the first variable, hold down the shift key, and click the last variable.
2. Click the arrow to move all the variables to the Codebook Variables box, as shown.
   The completed Codebook dialog.
3. Click OK to run the analysis.

After you move the variables (Step 2), you can make selections on the Output and Statistics tabs. Optionally on the Output tab, you can select variable attributes to display in each table and the order of the tables. By default, all variable attributes are displayed and the tables are in the order shown in the Codebook Variables list. On the Statistics tab, you can select statistics to display in the tables. By default, counts and percentages are displayed for variables defined as nominal or ordinal measurement level. For scale variables, the mean, standard deviation, and quartiles are displayed.