About this ebook
This book is designed for analysts and researchers who need to work with data to discover meaningful patterns but do not have the time (or inclination) to become programmers. We assume a foundational understanding of statistics such as one would learn in a basic course or two on statistical techniques and methods.
What You Will LearnInstall and set up SPSS to create a working environment for analyticsTechniques for exploring data visually and statistically, assessing data quality and addressing issues related to missing dataHow to import different kinds of data and work with itOrganize data for analytical purposes (create new data elements, sampling, weighting, subsetting, and restructure your data)Discover basic relationships among data elements (bivariate data patterns, differences in means, correlations)Explore multivariate relationshipsLeverage the offerings to draw accurate insights from your research, and benefit your decision-makingIn DetailSPSS Statistics is a software package used for logical batched and non-batched statistical analysis. Analytical tools such as SPSS can readily provide even a novice user with an overwhelming amount of information and a broad range of options for analyzing patterns in the data.
The journey starts with installing and configuring SPSS Statistics for first use and exploring the data to understand its potential (as well as its limitations). Use the right statistical analysis technique such as regression, classification and more, and analyze your data in the best possible manner. Work with graphs and charts to visualize your findings. With this information in hand, the discovery of patterns within the data can be undertaken. Finally, the high level objective of developing predictive models that can be applied to other situations will be addressed.
By the end of this book, you will have a firm understanding of the various statistical analysis techniques offered by SPSS Statistics, and be able to master its use for data analysis with ease.
Style and approachProvides a practical orientation to understanding a set of data and examining the key relationships among the data elements. Shows useful visualizations to enhance understanding and interpretation. Outlines a roadmap that focuses the process so decision regarding how to proceed can be made easily.
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About the author
Kenneth Stehlik-Barry, PhD, joined SPSS as Manager of Training in 1980 after using SPSS for his own research for several years. Working with others at SPSS, including Anthony Babinec, he developed a series of courses related to the use of SPSS and taught these courses to numerous SPSS users. He also managed the technical support and statistics groups at SPSS. Along with Norman Nie, the founder of SPSS and Jane Junn, a political scientist, he co-authored Education and Democratic Citizenship. Dr. Stehlik-Barry has used SPSS extensively to analyze data from SPSS and IBM customers to discover valuable patterns that can be used to address pertinent business issues. He received his PhD in Political Science from Northwestern University and currently teaches in the Masters of Science in Predictive Analytics program there.
Anthony J. Babinec joined SPSS as a Statistician in 1978 after assisting Norman Nie, SPSS founder, in a research methods class at the University of Chicago. Anthony developed SPSS courses and trained many SPSS users. He also wrote many examples found in SPSS documentation and worked in technical support. Anthony led a business development effort to find products implementing then-emerging new technologies such as CHAID decision trees and neural networks and helped SPSS customers successfully apply them. Anthony uses SPSS in consulting engagements and teaches IBM customers how to use its advanced features. He received his BA and MA in Sociology with a specialization in Advanced Statistics from the University of Chicago and teaches classes at the Institute for Statistics Education. He is on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Chapter of the American Statistical Association, where he has served in different positions including President.
