Using SPSS for Social Statistics and Research Methods

Using SPSS for Social Statistics and Research Methods serves as a guide for those interested in using SPSS software to aid in statistical data analysis. It can be used as a companion to a statistics or research methods course, or a stand-alone guide. The images and directions used in this book come from SPSS version 14.0.

Key Features:

• Works with several kinds of computer files: Data files, output files, and syntax files are primarily used. Data files are those computer files that contain the information that the user wants to statistically analyze. Output files contain the statistical analysis and often tables, graphs, and/or charts. Syntax files are computer instructions that tell the SPSS software what to do. Syntax files are not used in the student version of the SPSS software.
• Uses General Social Survey (GSS) as the secondary data set: This is the secondary data set used as an example to demonstrate typical functions of the program. While SPSS is the software program, the General Social Survey (GSS) is a data set that is read and analyzed by the SPSS software; it is a data file containing the information to be analyzed. The two things are distinct and can be used in separate contexts without the other.
• Aids in the process of data analysis: This direct guide helps students working independently on a research proposal, project, or paper. It provides instruction on transforming variables; cross-tabulation and measures of association for nominal and ordinal variables; correlate and regression analysis; selecting and sampling cases; testing hypotheses using means and cross-tabulation; and much more!

Intended Audience:

This supplementary text is designed as a manual for SPSS use for social statistics and research methods classes. It is an excellent companion to many of Pine Forge Press′s statistics and research methods texts such as Russell Schutt′s Investigating the Social World (2006), Daniel Chambliss and Russell Schutt′s Making Sense of the Social World (2006), and Chava Frankfort-Nachmias and Anna Leon-Guerrero′s Social Statistics for a Diverse Society (2005).

William E. Wagner, III,  PhD, is Chair of the Department of Sociology at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Executive Director of the Social Science Research & Instructional Council of the CSU. He is co-author of Adventures in Social Research, 11th edition (SAGE, 2022), The Practice of Survey Research (SAGE, 2016), and A Guide to R for Social and Behavioral Sciences (SAGE, 2020) and author of Using IBM® SPSS® Statistics for Research Methods and Social Science Statistics, 7th edition (SAGE, 2019).