Eventually, once you enter all your data and analyze everything, you'll have a big output file with lots of results. Now what? Learn to organize your output, make pretty graphs and charts, and even put them into your paper or thesis.
We briefly discussed the SPSS Viewer window in a previous section. Now, we're going to learn how to use the viewer to organize the output from your analyses. It is important to remember that all SPSS outputs are not saved along with the data set used to create them. They need to be saved separately. Saved outputs can be opened by clicking "Open" under the "File" menu and then by selecting "Output." Remember that you can have only one data set and one output viewer open at any one time.
As seen in Figure 8.1, you can selectively show and hide individual tables or results from an entire analysis by clicking on the arrows in the left frame. For each analysis, there is a blue arrow that can be used to hide or show the specific sections. If the arrow is pointing down, the table/chart/etc. is open; if it is pointing right, it is closed.
Figure 8.1 Results shown and hidden
You might want to give your analyses more useful names than "Descriptive Statistics" and "T-Test." Double-click on the name of the analysis in the left frame to change its name, as shown in Figure 8.2.
Figure 8.2 Changing names of analyses in left frame
There are a few commands that are helpful in organizing the SPSS Viewer Window
to MOVE results in the Viewer (within an analysis):
1) Select (click on) an item in the outline (left frame).
2) Use the mouse to drag the selected item or items to a different location
in the outline.
to DELETE results from the Viewer:
1) Select an item in the outline.
2) press "Delete."
to COPY Results in the viewer (from one analysis to another):
1) Select an item in the viewer
2) Use the mouse to drag the selected item or items to a different analysis
within the Viewer outline
to EDIT any of the output titles:
1) Double Click on the title you want to edit
2) A text editor will open and a typing prompt will appear on the title (see Figure 8.3)
Figure 8.3 Text Editing
3) Make the changes you want and then click ouside the title box to close it.
In addition to the charts and tables automatically attached to the output for various statistical tests, you may often find it useful to include graphs that further elaborate on the characteristics of your data. SPSS has an entire menu filled with different ways to illustrate your data set. When you understand how to activate one or two of these features, the rest will seem quite intuitive.
Information on making histograms, including interactive charts, can be found under Checking Assumptions.
1) Click "Bar..." under the "Graph" menu
2) You will be asked to define what type of bar graph you want. Most likely, you will select "Simple."
3) Next you will be asked to define the parameters of your graph, most importantly the category axis (Figure 8.4). You can also have it display percent instead of N, as shown below.
Figure 8.4 Define Bar Graph Window
4) If you don't want missing data to be displayed as a group, press the "Options" button and un-click "Display groups defined by missing values." When you have entered the appropriate information, click "OK."
5) As seen in Figure 8.5, the bar graph will appear in your output window.
Figure 8.5 Bar Graph Output
Once you have selected and completed your graph, table, or chart selection, the finished product will appear in an output window along with your analyses. At that point, you can organize your new graphics in the same way you organize other forms of output.
1) Click on the "Graphs" menu and choose "Scatter."
2) Click on "Simple" and then click "Define."
3) Add the variables for your particular graph, as seen in Figure 8.6. The x-axis (horizontal) should have your independent/predictor variable and the y-axis (vertical) should have your dependent/predicted variable. Press OK.
Figure 8.6 Scatterplot Setup
4) Once you have created your scatterplot, double click on it.
5) Click on "Chart options" (the compass icon in Figure 8.7).
Figure 8.7 Chart Editor
6) In the "Scatterplot Options" menu (Figure 8.8), under "Fit Line" select "Total" and then click on "Fit Options."
Figure 8.8 Scatterplot Options
7) In the "Fit Line" Window (Figure 8.9) choose "Linear regression and check "display R-square in legend."
Figure 8.9 Fit Line Window
1) Click "Pie..." under the "Graph" menu.
2) Select "Summaries for groups of cases" and click "Define."
3) As seen in Figure 8.10, you will be asked to define which variable is to be split into slices as well what the slices will represent. If you don't want missing data to be displayed as a group, press the "Options" button and un-click "Display groups defined by missing values." Click "OK."
Figure 8.10 Define Pie Window
The following instructions are to create a line chart with more than one line. To make a chart with just one line, select "Simple" instead of "Multiple" in step 2 and continue with the instructions.
1) Select "Line" from the "Graphs" menu.
2) Click on the "Multiple" box (Figure 8.11) before clicking "Define."
Figure 8.11 Line Charts
3) As seen in Figure 8., click on "Other summary function" and select your dependent variable from the list on the left.
4) Indicate which of your two factors you wish to be an axis on the graph and which one you want to be represented by colored lines. When finished, click "OK."
Figure 8.12 Setting Your Interaction Graph
As with output titles, you can edit your graphics by double clicking on them. This opens the SPSS Chart Editor, where you can add labels, change colors, and even alter the relevant data set using the row of buttons above the graphic itself.
Helpful hints for editing charts - coming soon!
In SPSS, placing graphs and analysis tables into Word documents is easy. Additonally, you can save your output as a web page document so that it can be viewed by your colleagues, professors, or project teammates.
1) Open the Output file from which you plan to take charts, graphics, or tables.
2) Select (click on) the item or items you want to copy in the outline (left) frame or in the viewing (right) frame.
3) Click on "Copy" from the "Edit" menu in SPSS.
4) Open your Word document.
5) Place the cursor where you would like to put in your graphic.
6) Select "Paste" from the "Edit" menu in Word.
7) As you can see in Figure 8., the chart or graphic you copied from SPSS will appear in your Word document.
Figure 8. Word document with SPSS import
Issues of sizing and placement can be addressed by clicking on the graphic once it has been imported into Word.
Coming soon!
1) Open your output file.
2) Select "Export" from the "File" menu.
3) As seen in Figure 8., you must define what you want to export. You can choose to export with or without your graphics and charts (export:), you can choose to export your entire output or just selected items (export what) and you can choose what type of file you wish to create (export format). For a web page, it is best to export as an HTML file.
Figure 8. Export Output Window
If you choose "Output Document", or "Charts Only" under "Export:", you also have the option of adjusting the file type of the graphics you are exporting by clicking the "Options" button.