V

MBA – Industry Collaborated Programs

Predictive Analytics
21BBH674

DISCOVER . LEARN .
EMPOWER 1
 Topics
• Introduction to SPSS Statistics
• How to work with SPSS
• Different ways of using SPSS
 Introduction to SPSS Statistics
• SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is a versatile and responsive program
designed to undertake a range of statistical procedures. 
• SPSS software is widely used in a range of disciplines and is available from all computer
pools within the University of South Australia.
• It’s important to note that SPSS is not the only statistical software – there are many others
that you may come across if you pursue a career that requires you to work with data. 
• Some of the other more common statistical packages include Stata and SAS (and there
are many others).  The focus for this session, however, is on SPSS.
 Open SPSS (..contd.)
Click on the Start menu

All Programs

IBM SPSS Statistics

IBM SPSS Statistics 21

Open SPSS (..contd..
 Opening data
Click Open and you’ll (hopefully!) see a data file in front of you that looks something like
this:
 Opening data (.contd..)
The other bit you may have noticed pop up was another window, mostly
blank, but with a bit of funny looking writing in it, like this:
 Opening data (.contd..)
Now that we have opened a data file, SPSS automatically opens what is called an
“Output Viewer” window.  We’re going to talk about the SPSS interface, including
this window, shortly.  Next, we have an example of how to open a data file using
the SPSS drop down menus.
 Opening data (.contd..)
Click on
the File menu at the
top left of your Data
Editor window,
then Open > Data
… :

1-9
 Navigating the SPSS interface
• This is the window where you can see your data, and information
about the variables in your dataset. 
• It is also possible to change your data in this window, but I would
strongly recommend against ever changing your data that way
because things can go wrong and you have no record of what you
changed and how you changed it!
 Data Editor window
• Data view – you can see the actual data in your dataset for each record and each
variable.

• Variable view – this gives a summary of each variable in your dataset, including
the variable name, type, various properties of the way in which the data are
stored, any label(s) for the variable itself and variable values (such as value
labels for categories of sex, which in the dataset may be represented as 1 and 2,
relating to male and female).
 Syntax editor window
A second window in the
SPSS interface is the Syntax
Editor window.  SPSS
doesn’t automatically open a
syntax file for us, so let’s
open one now.  Click on
the File menu in the top left
corner of your screen, and
select New > Syntax:
 Syntax editor window (..contd..)
When you first open a syntax file, it looks similar to a blank Word document:
 Six reasons you should use SPSS syntax
• Syntax is ideal project documentation;
• Syntax can be corrected;
• Syntax can be recycled;
• Syntax gets things done fast;
• Typing syntax saves time; and
• Syntax has more options.
 Output viewer window
The output viewer
window will keep a
record of any and
all commands you
give SPSS (e.g.,
open a file, save a
file, etc.), and is
also the window in
which you can
view the results of
any data/statistical
procedures
undertaken.
 Getting organised
• Keep all the files relating to a single ‘project’ in the one place.  A
‘project could be an analysis for a chapter of your thesis or for a
publication, primary data collection, data management processes, etc.
• Make sure you work is backed up.  Either save it somewhere that is
automatically backed up, or back it up yourself, regularly.
• Never edit your original data file.  You should always keep a copy of
your original data, and keep it somewhere that you won’t accidentally edit
or overwrite it.  You may want to keep it in a sub-folder, for instance. 
Sometimes we make mistakes in managing and using data, and need to go
back to the original file.  Storing your original data can also be an
important ethical consideration.
• Label your files well, with descriptive file names. 
 Organise your SPSS files
• Select a location on your computer, removable disk drive, or a
cloud location to organise your files for this workshop.

• Use some of the tips above to label your files well, and save
original data in a sub-folder (you can take copies of the original
data files and save them in the main folder location). 
 Organise your SPSS files
Your folder might now look something like this:
 Reference
Textbooks / Reference Books

T1. Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die
by Eric Siegel.

R1. https://developer.ibm.com/predictiveanalytics/videos/category/tutorials/

R2.
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/ba-predictive-analytics1/index.html

R3. https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=646443&chapterid=112479