SPSS Tips & Tricks Paula Pelletier, SUNY Stony Brook Julie Meyer Rao, Monroe CC SUNY AIRPO Conference, Summer 2006

Topics We Will Cover Resources & Best PracticesResources & Best Practices Techniques for Cleaning Data Access Data in Relational Databases SPSS vs Excel Changing the Levels of data in SPSS Aggregate, Cases to Variables, Variables to Cases Aggregate, Cases to Variables, Variables to Cases

Resources for Learning SPSS GOOGLE the topic you want to learn more about SPSS home page – Training offered, patches, known defects International SPSS list service

General Tips String variables can be very useful Index, concatenate, substrings all very useful functions Index, concatenate, substrings all very useful functions Date and Time variables Many built in functions Many built in functions Custom Tables can be used to get output that doesn’t need extra work Label your variables!!

Using Syntax Advantages Can build syntax using GUI menus Can build syntax using GUI menus Provides a records of all data manipulation & analysis – allows comments Provides a records of all data manipulation & analysis – allows comments Often able to do more than available via GUI Often able to do more than available via GUI Allows manipulation & analysis to be repeated across files without having to re-build it Allows manipulation & analysis to be repeated across files without having to re-build it Great guide available at g_data_mgmt.pdf Great guide available at g_data_mgmt.pdf

Clean Data is Paramount Always look at your data once you have read it in Review frequencies for unexpected values Review frequencies for unexpected values Check for duplicates Check for duplicates Use TEMP, SELECT IF & LIST to find errors Use TEMP, SELECT IF & LIST to find errors Run cross tabs after merge files to see if have expected number of cases Check new variables you create

New Features of SPSS 14 Multiple data file open at same time Read & Write Stata format data file Value Labels up to 120 characters long Create data values from value labels Find & Replace String values with REPLACE New module, Data Validation Improvements to Charts

Changing Levels of Data Understanding the concept of level: both the levels of your data and the level of your analysis Several Tools available to help change level Aggregate Aggregate Cases to Variables Cases to Variables Variables to Cases Variables to Cases

Aggregating Data Collapsing course level data for student for term into file with 1 records per student

SPSS vs Excel Charts are more intuitive in Excel

Accessing Data in Relational Database One time set up in coordination with Computer Services/DBA Can use SQL code in syntax to extract data you need Can use SPSS features to clean and manipulate data once drawn down

Cases to Variables Collapsing multiple test score records for each student into 1 record per student with each test score SAT Math, SAT Verbal, ACT Composite, ACT English, ACT Math SAT Math, SAT Verbal, ACT Composite, ACT English, ACT Math

Variables to Cases CASA room/section #1662 as an example

Questions?

Contact us? Paula Pelletier, SUNY Stony Brook Julie Rao, Monroe Community College Thank you for your time & attention! Thank you for your time & attention!