IBM SPSS Statistics is a statistical software package. Use this tag for any on-topic question that (a) involves SPSS either as a critical part of the question or expected answer and (b) is not just about how to use SPSS.
SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is a proprietary cross-platform general-purpose statistical software package. SPSS's homepage The official name at present is IBM SPSS Statistics.
SPSS has both well-developed GUI and command syntax. One unique aspect of SPSS Statistics compared to other popular propriety software packages (such as Stata or SAS) is the built in functionality to call Python or R commands within syntax (in addition to SPSS own commands). Otherwise it is largely comparable to other general proprietary and freeware packages (such as R), although it differs in some advanced statistical capabilities and aspects of data manipulation.
Suggested readings on using SPSS and learning the command syntax are two online PDF's.
Other useful print versions are
- An Intermediate Guide to SPSS Programming: Using Syntax for Data Management by Sarah Boslaugh (For Data Management)
- Discovering statistics using SPSS: and sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll. by Andy Field (For Statistical Analysis)
Forums and groups entirely devoted to the software are (and suggested material to search when encountering a problem with SPSS are):
- SPSSX-L mailing list provided by University of Georgia
- SPSS forum at Nabble
- SPSS group on IBM site
- SPSS Reddit group
- SPSS Google group
- SPSS developer central
Other suggested webpages are
- Raynald's SPSS Tools
- Bruce Weaver's SPSS page
- Jeromy Anglim's blog
- Kirill Orlov's macros page on SPSS Tools
- Marta Garcia-Granero's page
PSPP is a free-ware, open source alternative largely mimicking the look and functionality of SPSS.
