Introduction To Spss Defining Variables And Data Entry

Introduction to Introduction to SPSS:SPSS:

Defining Variables Defining Variablesandand

Data EntryData Entry

You will be on this page after “SPSS” is started

Click “Cancel”

Choose “variable view” by clicking this button

Type the name of the variable here

The variable name “Gender” has been typed

Lets assume our first variable is “Gender”

Click “Type”

Choose “Numeric”

(1)

(2)

Press “OK” (3)

Type a label for this variable, e.g. Gender of Respondent*

*Note: It is not necessary to provide a label for the variable. It serves to remind the researcher about the variable if a label is provided

1. Click “Values” 2. Click this sign to assign the “Value Labels” of the variable

3. Type “1” here, then “Male” here

4. Click “add”

Assuming we have the following coding scheme for “Gender”

1.Male2.Female

After “Add” is pressed the value label 1 = “Male” is transferred here

1. Type “2”

2. Type “Female”

3. Press “Add”

1. The value label 2 = “Female” is now here

2. Press “OK” to execute the process

The process of defining the first variable “Gender” is now completed.

Press the 1st column of the 2nd row to define the 2nd variable

Lets say the 2nd variable is “Age”

Type “Age”

Under the “Label” type “Age Group of Respondent”

Assuming we have the following coding scheme for “Age”

1. 20 – 25 years2. 26 – 30 years3. 31 – 35 years4. 36 – 40 years5. 41 years and above

1. Press here to define the value labels

2. Type 1 for “Value”

3. Type 20 -25 years for “Value Label”4. Click “Add”

Repeat Steps 2, 3, 4 for the remaining value labels:•Value 2 ; Value Label 26 – 30 years•Value 3 ; Value Label 31 – 35 years•Value 4 ; Value Label 36 – 40 years•Value 5 ; Value Label 41 and above

Press “OK” after all the value labels for “Age” have been defined

The process of assigning the value labels for “Age” is completed

Lets move to the third variable.

• Assume that the next item in the questionnaire asks respondent to indicate his/her degree of agreement to the following statement:

I enjoy my Business Research Methods class

1. Strongly Disagree2. Disagree3. Undecided4. Agree5. Strongly Agree

I have chosen BRM1 as the variable name to indicate that it is the first question related to “Business Research Methods”. It is arbitrary, we can also use other names.

Under the “Label” give a short descriptive label for the variable, e.g. “Enjoy BRM”

1. Press here to define the value labels for BRM1

2. Type “1” for “Value”, and type “Strongly Disagree”

for “Value Label”

3. Press “Add”

Repeat the process for the remaining value labels of BRM1, i.e.2. Disagree3. Undecided4. Agree5. Strongly Agree

Press OK to execute

A

B

The variable BRM1 and its value labels are now defined

Now let us practice some data entry with SPSSAssume we have received ten completed questionnaires from

our respondents.

Respondent 1 with the following responses:Female (2) 26 – 30 years (2)Agree (4)

Respondent 2 with the following responses:Male (1)31 – 35 years (3)Disagree (2)

Respondent 3 with the following responsesFemale (2)31 – 35 years (3)Strongly Agree (5)

Value labels for “Male” and “Female” in variable “Gender”

Now let us practice some data entry with SPSSAssume we have received ten completed questionnaires from

our respondents.

Respondent 1 with the following responses:Female (2) 26 – 30 years (2)Agree (4)

Respondent 2 with the following responses:Male (1)31 – 35 years (3)Disagree (2)

Respondent 3 with the following responsesFemale (2)31 – 35 years (3)Strongly Agree (5)

Value labels for “Age Groups” in variable “Age”

Now let us practice some data entry with SPSSAssume we have received ten completed questionnaires from

our respondents.

Respondent 1 with the following responses:Female (2) 26 – 30 years (2)Agree (4)

Respondent 2 with the following responses:Male (1)31 – 35 years (3)Disagree (2)

Respondent 3 with the following responsesFemale (2)31 – 35 years (3)Strongly Agree (5)

Value labels for the “degree of agreement” in variable “BRM1”

Respondent 4Respondent 4MaleMale (1)(1)

41 years and above (5)41 years and above (5)AgreeAgree (4)(4)

Respondent 5Respondent 5FemaleFemale (2)(2)31 – 35 years31 – 35 years (3)(3)Strongly AgreeStrongly Agree (5)(5)

Respondent 6Respondent 6MaleMale (1)(1)20 – 25 years20 – 25 years (1)(1)DisagreeDisagree (2)(2)

Respondent 7Respondent 7MaleMale (1)(1)26 – 30 years26 – 30 years (2)(2)AgreeAgree (4)(4)

Respondent 8Respondent 8FemaleFemale (2)(2)20 -25 years20 -25 years (1)(1)Strongly AgreeStrongly Agree (5)(5)

Respondent 9Respondent 9MaleMale (1)(1)31 – 35 years31 – 35 years (3)(3)DisagreeDisagree (2)(2)

Respondent 10Respondent 10FemaleFemale (2)(2)26 – 30 years26 – 30 years (2)(2)AgreeAgree (4)(4)

Switch to the “Data View” by pressing this button

To start entering data, we need to switch to the “Data View”

Respondent 1 with the following responses:Female (2) 26 – 30 years (2)Agree (4)

Type the values of the responses for Respondent 1 (Row 1) for the three variables (Gender, Age, and BRM1)

Respondent 2Male (1)31 – 35 years (3)Disagree (2)

Respondent 2 is in Row 2

Respondent 3 Female

(2)31 – 35 years

(3)Strongly Agree

(5)

Respondent 4Male

(1)41 years and above (5)Agree

(4)

Respondent 5Female

(2)31 – 35 years

(3)Strongly Agree

(5)

Respondent 6Male

(1)20 – 25 years

(1)Disagree (2)

Respondent 7Male (1)26 – 30 years (2)Agree (4)

Respondent 8Female (2)20 -25 years (1)Strongly Agree (5)

Respondent 9Male(1)31 – 35 years

(3)Disagree(2)

Respondent 10Female(2)26 – 30 years

(2)Agree(4)

Now, the data entry process for the 10 respondents is completed. Don’t forget to save our work before we logoff.

Repeat the process for all the remaining respondents.

1. Click “File” ,2. Then “Save As..”

3. Choose your folder

4. Type in the name that you want for this file, e.g. practice

5. Press “Save”