Wrong data in Frequencies Dialog Box
Locked
Wrong data in Frequencies Dialog Box
 
|
Please forgive a question from a beginner. I am going to use SPSS for the first time in my Poly Sci Methods course this semester and I have to learn it fast.
(I am using the CD that goes along with Pollock's An SPSS Companion to Political Analysis.) I open the data set GSS2008A_student.sav I do Edit, Options and choose, under Variable Lists, Display Labels and Alphabetical. No problem. Then I go to Analyze, Descriptive Statistics, Frequencies. But the variables that show up on the left in the Frequencies dialog box are from a different dataset, one that is not even open, NSS2008A_student.sav I did the tutorial and read the "Help" carefully. According to them the variables in the Frequencies dialog box should be from the dataset I have open (of course, duh). What am I doing wrong? I am using 19.0. Many thanks, Sharon Murphy Nazareth College of Rochester |
Re: Wrong data in Frequencies Dialog Box
|
Sharon I don’t know the Pollock book (but the contents look interesting enough to ask for a review copy) so I can’t help with your specific problem with the data set: are you sure you opened the right one? If so, it may be a problem with the publisher (unlikely), not you. Did you open it direct from the CD or did you copy it to your computer first? How did you open it? Have you tried double-clicking on the file icon? However, since you are new to SPSS, my Survey Analysis Workshop is aimed exactly at people like yourself. (See: http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/spss-and-survey-analysis-workshop.html ) It starts from absolute scratch with pencil and paper exercises (short questionnaire and data transfer sheet) and then works gently through all the steps from data entry through to SPSS saved file and basic transformations and descriptive analyses. The tutorials use syntax rather than the GUI, but many examples and exercises use both. All the examples are from real surveys and the tutorials start from the research question rather than the mechanics of SPSS and the requirements of inferential statistics. Even if your version of SPSS does not support syntax, you can still follow the logic and process by working through the tutorials, exercises and specimen answers. There’s a summary guide to the tutorials on: http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/summary-guide-to-spss-tutorials.html Everything is available for free download. Get back to me if you need more help. John Hall Email: [hidden email] Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com Skype: surveyresearcher1 Phone: (+33) (0) 2.33.45.91.47 From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Sharon Murphy Please forgive a question from a beginner. I am going to use SPSS for the first time in my Poly Sci Methods course this semester and I have to learn it fast. |
Re: Wrong data in Frequencies Dialog Box
|
|
Sharon,
I can't be certain what is happening, but I have a theory. Try right clicking on the variable list. The context menu that will appear will offer the choice or variable "names" or variables "labels". I frequently have the experience of participants in my lecture thinking that they might have the wrong data set when what is really going on is that I am displaying one setting, and they are displaying the other.
It is possible to have more than one data set open, but your description seems to rule that out. I hope that I am right, and that it helps you. Best, Keith
On Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 12:36 AM, John F Hall <[hidden email]> wrote:
http://about.me/keithmccormick |
Re: Wrong data in Frequencies Dialog Box
|
|
In reply to this post by Sharon Murphy
I solved the problem of the variables. It
was the basic mistake of a beginner. Keith McCormick was right.
Despite Pollock's clear direction, I made the mistake in Edit, Options
of choosing Variable Names instead of Display Names.
Many thanks to all who responded to my question. -- Dr. Sharon Murphy Professor, Political Science Director, International Studies Program Nazareth College 4245 East Avenue Rochester, New York 14618 (585) 389-2659 |
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |