Lecture 2-3-4

The Text Import Wizard is a tool in SPSS that assists users in reading raw (ASCII text) data files by guiding them step by step through the process.

Missing values are data points that are not recorded or are absent in a dataset, often represented by specific numbers to indicate different types of missingness, such as -999 for refusal to answer.

The Variable View sheet in SPSS allows users to define and modify variables, including changing variable names, types, labels, missing values, and column formats.

Direct Entry of Data refers to the process of manually inputting data into the Data Editor of SPSS, allowing users to enter data directly without needing to import it from other sources.

Range indicates that all values between two specified points should be treated as missing values.

When first saving a file, you must specify a file name and location, select the drive in the 'Save in' box, choose 'SPSS (*.sav)' in the 'Save as type' field, and then click 'Save'.

To change the variable type, select the appropriate cell in the Type column, click the small gray box that appears, and specify the type by clicking the circle next to the desired type.

Data can be imported from an Excel file into SPSS by using the specific procedure designed for this purpose, which allows users to bring in data from external Excel spreadsheets.

Specifying a file name is essential for identifying and retrieving the data set later.

Select Transform, then Recode into a different or the same variable, choose the variable to be recoded, and enter a new variable name in the Output Variable box.

Variable names may not exceed 8 characters, cannot contain spaces or special characters (except underscores), and cannot start with numbers.

Column format can be changed by specifying column width and text alignment in the Columns and Align columns on the Variable View sheet, or by clicking and dragging column borders in the Data View sheet.

The value will appear in the cell, and the cell below will be selected for entering the next data value.

Variable and value labels allow you to attach longer descriptions to variable names and values, making the output more meaningful.

A String variable is any variable that contains alpha characters as data.

SPSS has specific restrictions for variable names, which include limitations on length, allowable characters, and the requirement that names must begin with a letter.

An exercise involves managing any data from a survey and entering that data into the Data Editor of SPSS using the methods described.

The Target Variable box is used to specify the name of the new variable to be computed.

Specifying Old and New Values in SPSS is used to recode a subset of cases by defining existing values (Old Value) and the new values to be assigned (New Value).

Discrete allows specification of 1 to 3 specific missing values in a dataset.

SPSS (*.sav) is the file format used to save data sets in SPSS for Windows.

The levels of variable measurement in SPSS are Scale, Ordinal, and Nominal, which can be specified in the Measure column.

To retrieve an SPSS System File or Portable File, go to the SPSS menu, choose File, then Open, or use the open file icon on the toolbar. Select the file type in the Files of Type box, specify the file location in the Look in box, and double click the file to open it.

Variable labels may be up to 256 characters long.

Files not accessible through the Open File window, such as MS Access files, can be accessed through ODBC in SPSS.

The SPSS compute procedure allows computation of new data values based on numeric calculations and SPSS functions.

The default variable type in SPSS is Numeric, which is the most common type.

The first step of SPSS data analysis is to enter data into the Data Editor, which can be done through direct entry or by importing data from various sources.

The 'Save in' box allows you to select the drive where you wish to save your data.

You must specify the Type as string on the Variable View sheet.

Excel spreadsheets can be read directly through the Open File menu in SPSS.

To specify value labels, select the appropriate cell in the Values column, click the gray box, and type the appropriate value and associated label, up to 60 characters.

To save a data file in SPSS, select File then Save from the menu or click the save icon.