SPSS: Quantitative Data Analysis

SPSS is software which can help you to develop arguments based on countable data using statistics. SPSS stands for "Statistical Package for the Social Sciences", but it is also now widely used in the commercial world.

Further information is available at the manufacturer's website.

Site Licence

The College has a site licence for both the Windows and Mac versions of SPSS Statistics. This means that we can install it on any computer on campus (the open access computers in the Rutherford Building and departmental computers). Further, all current staff and student members of the College are entitled to a copy of the software to use on their home computer for no charge.

Each summer we update the version on the open access computers to the latest available. There are not usually huge changes from year to year, but usually the latest version runs more stably. We will shortly  (August 2011) be moving from version 18 to 19, but version 18 will remain available for those people who need to use it and don't want to upgrade in the middle of a project.

If you are using an even older version of SPSS and cannot change, you can access the licence codes from this site too. Please note that our Mac site licence began with version 18.

Support and Training

Support and training on SPSS is provided only within academic departments. Please do not contact the Help Desk: they have not been trained to support SPSS.

If you do have problems with installing the software only, please email helpdesk@gold.ac.uk.

There are training materials also available from the College library:

• Books are catalogued at a number of places so search for "SPSS" and you will find the widest number of works.
  
  
• There are also CD-ROMS with computer-based training available for loan. These are catalogued at "005.30727 SPS".