Opening & Entering SPSS Data
Creating a new SPSS Data File
If you collected your data on pieces of paper, surveys, test forms, etc., the simplest way to get started with SPSS is to just start entering data.
However, because SPSS will give each of your variables a generic name (VAR001, VAR002, etc) and guess at the correct variable type, it is highly recommended that you ensure that your variables are labeled correctly.
To change your variables' names and types:
- Click the Variable View tab at the bottom of the page.
- Enter a name for each variable.
- Numeric will automatically be set as the type. However, if you click any cell in the Type column, a pop-up window will come up and allow you to choose the variable type. Selecting Date as the type will allow you to choose the date format (see below).
- Once you have given all of your variables named and types, click the Data View tab at the bottom of the window to start entering your data.
Entering Data in an Existing SPSS Data File
When you open an existing SPSS data file, you will see your data with the variable names across the top of each column, as shown in the example below.
To enter more data:
Scroll to the end of the data, click in the first cell and start typing your data.
- Use the Tab key to go to the next column.
Once you have finished entering data, you are ready to perform statistical analysis and create reports and graphs. Explore the Data Analysis and Reporting & Graphics sections of the SPSS documentation for more information.
For more information:
- To learn more about variable types, visit Variable Types and Why They Matter in SPSS.
- To learn more about importing data from other programs into SPSS, visit Importing Data into SPSS.
Last updated:
February 19, 2010