CHAPTER 7

USING THE HELP SYSTEM

There are five ways you can access help during an SPSSWIN session.
1.

Click on the Data Editor HELP pulldown menu. This pulldown menu can direct the user to:

Topics

Type in a term for which help is needed. Pressing the F1 key will also bring up
the Topics window. For more on Topics, refer to "HELP TOPICS" below.

Tutorial

SPSSWIN offers tutorials to assist the new user.

SPSS Home Page

If connected to the Internet, clicking on HELP SPSS HOME PAGE will take the
user to SPSS' web site. [ http://www.spss.com ]

Statistics Coach

A step-by-step aid to choosing what statistical procedure may be most

appropriate (discussed in Chapter 12).

2.

In any dialog box containing a HELP pushbutton, click on HELP. A Help window with information
regarding the topic of interest will appear.

3.

HELP TOPICS

There are four avenues to help on topics:

Index

Type in a term for which help is needed. For instance, if you begin typing the word "value"
(for help on "Value Labels"), at the letter "u" the topics list will highlight "value labels."
Various subtopics will be listed as well. Double clicking on the term "value labels" will also
bring up a list of submenus. Again, double clicking on a term from the list will bring up a
dialog box with an explanation of the term. In some cases, the dialog box may also
contain "How to", "See also", and "Syntax" pushbuttons that provide additional
information. Note: You can either double click on a term or click once and then click on
the "Display" pushbutton.

Contents

An alternative way for reaching the dialog boxes described above is to click on
"Contents." This is a multi-tiered system of "books" that ultimately lead to specific topics
for which help is available. For example, to find out how to use the Frequencies
procedure, one would double-click through the following hierarchy:
Statistical Analysis Summarize Frequencies Procedure.
The last step yields the detailed dialog box that explains the procedure.

Find

The Find dialog box is used to search for a specific word or words (rather than a broad
topic area) embedded in the text of the SPSSWIN Help system. For example, to find help
on the Frequencies procedure, one might type in "frequencies procedure." One would
then be asked to pick one of the matching terms ("procedure" or "procedures"). Clicking
on "procedure" would yield a list of statistical procedures, among them "frequencies."
Double clicking on the term "frequencies" would yield the dialog box containing
information on the procedure. [The user can adjust the Find search using "options" and
"rebuild" the database.]

Ask Me

Type in a request and click on Search. A list of topics will be generated. Click on a topic
from the list and an explanation will be provided.

Note: Regardless of whether one approaches SPSSWIN Help via Topics, Index, Find or Ask Me, some
help dialog boxes include a "Show Me" pushbutton. Clicking on this pushbutton takes the user to the
relevant portion of an SPSSWIN "tutorial."
4. Help for dialog boxes
SPSSWIN procedures are initiated from various dialog boxes. Dialog boxes contain an assortment of
"controls" pushbuttons, radio buttons, variable lists, etc. Help is available for these controls. Click the
right mouse button on the item of interest and an explanation box will appear. In some instances, the user
clicks on "What's this?" for help on the control.
5. Help for pivot tables
The results of SPSSWIN procedures are routed to the Output Navigator. Statistical results often appear in
tables that can be pivoted (e.g., rows and columns can be rearranged). Help is available for some of the
terms in pivot tables. Double click on the pivot table to make it "active." Click the right mouse button on
the term of interest and an explanation box will appear.
Copying and printing Help information
Text from Help windows can be copied and pasted into SPSS output or other documents. Use the
standard Windows copy and paste process (EDIT COPY ). Help text can also be printed by clicking
on the PRINT pushbutton at the top of the Help window.

Try This: Open SPSSWIN 10.0. Click on HELP TOPICS. Search for help on the following: "variable
name", "defining data" and "define variable." When you are through exploring the Help system exit out of
SPSS.