- SPSS
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Infobox_Software
name = SPSS
caption = SPSS 13 data view and pull-down analysis menus
developer =SPSS Inc.
latest_release_version = 17.0 (Win / Mac / Linux)
latest_release_date =2008
operating_system = Windows,Linux /UNIX & Mac
genre = Statistical analysis
license =Proprietary software
website = [http://www.spss.com/ www.spss.com]SPSS is a
computer program used for statistical analysis.tatistics program
SPSS (originally, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) was released in its first version in
1968 after being founded by Norman Nie and C. Hadlai Hull. Nie was then apolitical science postgraduate atStanford University , [cite web|url=http://www.uni-sofia.bg/calendar+bg/news+bg/SPSS_COMPANY%20PROFILE.pdf|title=SPSS company profile|publisher=SPSS|accessdate=2008-03-22] and now ResearchProfessor in the Department of Political Science at Stanford and ProfessorEmeritus of Political Science at theUniversity of Chicago . [cite web|url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/polisci/faculty/nie.html|title=Norman Nie|publisher=Stanford University Department of Political Science|accessdate=2008-03-22] SPSS is among the most widely used programs for statistical analysis insocial science . It is used by market researchers, health researchers, survey companies, government, education researchers, marketing organizations and others. The original SPSS manual (Nie, Bent & Hull, 1970) has been described as 'Sociology's most influential book'. [Wellman, B. "Doing it ourselves", Pp 71-78 in "Required Reading: Sociology's Most Influential Books". Edited by Dan Clawson, University of Massachusetts Press, 1998, ISBN 9781558491533] In addition to statistical analysis, data management (case selection, file reshaping, creating derived data) and data documentation (ametadata dictionary is stored with thedata ) are features of the base software.Statistics included in the base software:
*Descriptive statistics:Cross tabulation , Frequencies, Descriptives, Explore, Descriptive Ratio Statistics
*Bivariate statistics:Mean s,t-test ,ANOVA ,Correlation (bivariate, partial, distances),Nonparametric tests
*Prediction for numerical outcomes:Linear regression
*Prediction for identifying groups:Factor analysis ,cluster analysis (two-step, K-means, hierarchical), DiscriminantThe many features of SPSS are accessible via
pull-down menus or can be programmed with a proprietary4GL "command syntax language". Command syntax programming has the benefits of reproducibility and handling complex data manipulations and analyses. The pull-down menu interface also generates command syntax, though the default settings have to be changed to make the syntax visible to the user. Programs can be run interactively, or unattended using the supplied Production Job Facility. Additionally a "macro" language can be used to write command languagesubroutines and a Python programmability extension can access the information in the data dictionary and data and dynamically build command syntax programs. The Python programmability extension, introduced in SPSS 14, replaced the less functional SAX Basic "scripts" for most purposes, although SaxBasic remains available. In addition, the Python extension allows SPSS to run any of the statistics in thefree software package R. From version 14 onwards SPSS can be driven externally by a Python or aVB.NET program using supplied "plug-ins".SPSS places constraints on internal file structure,
data types ,data processing and matching files, which together considerably simplify programming. SPSS datasets have a 2-dimensional table structure where the rows typically represent cases (such as individuals or households) and the columns represent measurements (such as age, sex or household income). Only 2 data types are defined: numeric and text (or "string"). All data processing occurs sequentially case-by-case through the file. Files can be matched one-to-one and one-to-many, but not many-to-many.The
graphical user interface has two views which can be toggled by clicking on one of the two tabs in the bottom left of the SPSS window. The 'Data View' shows aspreadsheet view of the cases (rows) and variables (columns). The 'Variable View' displays the metadata dictionary where each row represents a variable and shows the variable name, variable label, value label(s), print width, measurement type and a variety of other characteristics. Cells in both views can be manually edited, defining the file structure and allowing data entry without using command syntax. This may be sufficient for small datasets. Larger datasets such asstatistical survey s are more often created indata entry software, or entered duringcomputer-assisted personal interviewing , by scanning and usingoptical character recognition andoptical mark recognition software, or by direct capture fromonline questionnaires . These datasets are then read into SPSS.SPSS can read and write data from
ASCII text files (including hierarchical files), other statistics packages,spreadsheets anddatabases . SPSS can read and write to external relational database tables viaODBC andSQL .Statistical output is to a proprietary file format (*.spo file, supporting
pivot table s) for which, in addition to the in-package viewer, a stand-alone reader is provided. The proprietary output can be exported to text orMicrosoft Word . Alternatively, output can be captured as data (using the OMS command), as text, tab-delimited text,HTML ,XML , SPSS dataset or a variety of graphic image formats (JPEG , PNG, BMP and EMF).Add-on modules provide additional capabilities. The available modules are:
*SPSS Programmability Extension (added in version 14). Allows Python programming control of SPSS.
*SPSS Data Validation (added in version 14). Allows programming of logical checks and reporting of suspicious values.
*SPSS Regression Models - Logistic regression, ordinal regression, multinomial logistic regression, andmixed models (multilevel models ).
*SPSS Advanced Models - MultivariateGLM and repeated measures ANOVA (removed from base system in version 14).
*SPSS Classification Trees. Creates classification and decision trees for identifying groups and predicting behaviour.
*SPSS Tables. Allows user-defined control of output for reports.
*SPSS Exact Tests. Allows statistical testing on small samples.
*SPSS Categories
*SPSS Trends
*SPSS Conjoint
*SPSS Missing Value Analysis. Simple regression-based imputation.
*SPSS Map
*SPSS Complex Samples (added in Version 12). Adjusts for stratification and clustering and other sample selection biases.SPSS Server is a version of SPSS with a client/server architecture. It has some features not available in the desktop version, such as scoring functions.
Versions
Early versions of SPSS were designed for
batch processing onmainframes , including for example IBM and ICL versions, originally usingpunched cards for input. A processing run read a command file of SPSS commands and either a raw input file of fixed format data with a single record type, or a 'getfile' of data saved by a previous run. To save precious computer time an 'edit' run could be done to check command syntax without analysing the data. From version 10 (SPSS-X) in 1983, data files could contain multiple record types.SPSS version 16.0 runs under Windows, Mac OS 10.5 and earlier, and Linux. The
graphical user interface is written in Java. The Mac OS version is provided as aUniversal binary , making it fully compatible with both PowerPC and Intel-based Mac hardware.Prior to SPSS 16.0, different versions of SPSS were available for Windows,
Mac OS X andUnix . The Windows version was updated more frequently, and had more features, than the versions for otheroperating systems .SPSS version 13.0 for
Mac OS X was not compatible withIntel -based Macintosh computers, due to the Rosetta emulation software causing errors in calculations. SPSS 15.0 for Windows needed a downloadable hotfix to be installed in order to be compatible withWindows Vista .Release History
* SPSS 15.0.0 - September 2006
* SPSS 16.0.1 - November 2007
* SPSS 17.0.0 - 2008See also
*
List of statistical packages
*Comparison of statistical packages
*PSPP References
* SPSS 15.0 Command Syntax Reference 2006, SPSS Inc., Chicago Ill.
* Raynald Levesque, SPSS Programming and Data Management: A Guide for SPSS and SAS Users, Fourth Edition (2007), SPSS Inc., Chicago Ill. [http://www.spss.com/spss/SPSSdatamgmt_4e.pdf PDF] ISBN 1568273908
* George Argyrous, Statistics for Research: With a Guide to SPSS, Second Edition (2005), SAGE UK, London. ISBN 1412919487.External links
* [http://www.spss.com SPSS Inc Homepage] - support page includes a searchable database of solutions
* [http://www.spsstools.net Raynald Levesque's SPSS Tools] - library of worked solutions for SPSS programmers (FAQ , command syntax; macros; scripts; python)
* [http://listserv.uga.edu/archives/spssx-l.html Archives of SPSSX-L Discussion] - SPSSListserv active since 1996. Discusses programming, statistics and analysis
* [http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/ UCLA ATS Resources to help you learn SPSS] - Resources for learning SPSS
* [http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/technicalreports/ UCLA ATS Technical Reports] - Report 1 compares Stata, SAS and SPSS against R (R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics).
* [http://www.hmdc.harvard.edu/projects/SPSS_Tutorial/spsstut.shtml Using SPSS For Data Analysis] - SPSS Tutorial from Harvard
* [http://www.spss.com/devcentral SPSS Developer Central] - Support for developers of applications using SPSS, including materials and examples of the Python programmability feature
* [http://spss.wikicities.com/wiki/SPSS_Wiki SPSS Wiki] - A wiki on SPSS statistics (since December 2005)
* [http://www.spsslog.com SPSS Log] - Ablog posting answers on SPSS questions (since March 2006)
* [http://www.kingdouglas.com/spss.htm SPSS Experts] - Profiles of six SPSS experts around the world
* [http://groups.google.com.au/group/comp.soft-sys.stat.spss comp.soft-sys.stat.spss] - SPSSUsenet newsgroup viaGoogle Groups
* [http://www.spssforum.com SPSS Forum] - A forum for SPSS users (since June 2007)
* [http://www.gnu.org/software/pspp/pspp.html GNU PSPP] -PSPP is a free SPSS replacement.
* [http://www.asselberghs.dds.nl/stuff.htm ViewSav] - ViewSav is intended as a Real-Time Codebook for SPSS data files.
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