Foolproof Guide to Statistics using IBM SPSS

Adelma M. Hills

Research output: Book/Research ReportAuthored Book

Abstract

The intention with this guide is to provide a foundation from which readers can develop their understanding of statistics, and their skill in using SPSS. It is not intended as an exhaustive text on either. The domain of statistics, in its full complexity, is vast. Many modern text books aim to be relatively comprehensive in their coverage, but in doing so, they can overwhelm the limited information processing capabilities of the poor human user-particularly the new and/ or infrequent user. SPSS, like so many software programs, is similarly vast and can do pretty much "anything" statistical, but to make full use of the program you need an extensive knowledge of its capabilities and operations. Many of these capabilities go beyond the user-friendly, point-and-click procedures and require the use of syntax (instructions written in the code language of SPSS). A basic introduction to syntax is provided at various points in this guide. The aim then, is to provide the essential information students and researchers need in order to have a fundamental grasp of a range of statistical techniques, and essential practical skills in using SPSS for Windows. This guide should always be accompanied by more comprehensive texts that can be consulted for more detailed or specialised information. For example, texts by Field (2005), Green and Salkind (2005), Howell (2002), Pallant (2007), and Tabachnick and Fidell (2007) are all useful as alternative sources of information, or more comprehensive texts.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationFrenchs Forest, N.S.W.
PublisherPearson
Number of pages355
ISBN (Print)9781442549821
Publication statusPublished - 2011

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Foolproof Guide to Statistics using IBM SPSS'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this