Quantitative Data Analysis with SPSS

by Pete Greasley

Overview

"This is an ideal introductory book for budding researchers who are embarking on the development and then analysis of data, and in this case, more specifically questionnaires using partly or exclusively closed questions amenable to statistical analysis."

Primary Health Care Research and Development

"The text is a welcome addition for nursing students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level research. Having reviewed the text I can only inform you how a student described a chapter in the book recently when she borrowed it. 'The language is clear and unambiguous'. I will be strongly encouraging students to either purchase the text ... with the purpose of giving them a foundation in statistics."

William Evans, Institute of Technology Tralee, Ireland

This accessible book is essential reading for those looking for a short and simple guide to basic data analysis. Written for the complete beginner, the book is the ideal companion when undertaking quantitative data analysis for the first time using SPSS.

The book uses a simple example of quantitative data analysis that would be typical to the health field to take you through the process of data analysis step by step. The example used is a doctor who conducts a questionnaire survey of 30 patients to assess a specific service. The data from these questionnaires is given to you for analysis, and the book leads you through the process required to analyse this data.

Handy screenshots illustrate each step of the process so you can try out the analysis for yourself, and apply it to your own research with ease.

Topics covered include:

• Questionnaires and how to analyse them
• Coding the data for SPSS, setting up an SPSS database and entering the data
• Descriptive statistics and illustrating the data using graphs
• Cross-tabulation and the Chi-square statistic
• Correlation: examining relationships between interval data
• Examining differences between two sets of scores
• Reporting the results and presenting the data

Quantitative Data Analysis Using SPSS is helpful for any students in health and social sciences with little or no experience of quantitative data analysis and statistics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780335223053
Publisher:	McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
Publication date:	12/01/2007
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Pete Greasley is a lecturer at the School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction     1
A questionnaire and what to do with it: types of data and relevant analyses     5
The questionnaire     5
What types of analyses can we perform on this questionnaire?     7
Descriptive statistics     7
Relationships and differences in the data     13
Summary     16
Exercises     17
Notes     18
Coding the data for SPSS, setting up an SPSS database and entering the data     19
The dataset     19
Coding the data for SPSS     20
Setting up an SPSS database     21
Defining the variables     22
Adding value labels     25
Entering the data     27
Exercises     28
Notes     31
Descriptive statistics: frequencies, measures of central tendency and illustrating the data using graphs     33
Frequencies     33
Measures of central tendency for interval variables     38
Using graphs to visually illustrate the data     41
Bar charts     41
Histograms     45
Editing a chart     46
Boxplots     50
Copying charts and tables into a Microsoft Word document     52
Navigating the Output Viewer     56
Summary     57
Ending the SPSS session     58
Exercises     58
Notes     60
Cross-tabulation and the chi-square statistic     61
Introduction     61
Cross-tabulating data in the questionnaire     61
The chi-square statistical test     63
Levels of statistical significance     67
Re-coding interval variables into categorical variables     69
Summary     73
Exercises     73
Notes     75
Correlation: examining relationships between interval data     77
Introduction     77
Examining correlations in the questionnaire     77
Producing a scatterplot in SPSS     78
The strength of a correlation     80
The coefficient of determination     82
Summary     83
Exercises     84
Notes     85
Examining differences between two sets of scores     86
Introduction     86
Comparing satisfaction ratings for the two counsellors     88
Independent or related samples?     88
Parametric or non-parametric test?      88
Comparing the number of sessions for each counsellor     95
Summary     100
Exercises     101
Notes     102
Reporting the results and presenting the data     103
Introduction     103
Structuring the report     103
How not to present data     107
Concluding remarks     109
Answers to the quiz and exercises     110
Glossary     130
References     133
Index     135