Research Services
information technology services
SPSS (Now called IBM SPSS)
General Information
Short Description: SPSS is an integrated collection of quantitative analysis software that is particularly popular with social science researchers. In late 2009, IBM acquired SPSS and then changed changed the name to PASW for a short period of time. It is now called IBM SPSS.
Long Description: SPSS is a desktop and larger computer based quantitative analysis package produced by SPSS Inc. Using SPSS you can perform many data management and statistical analysis tasks. With base SPSS you can manage data with case selection, file reshaping, and creating derived data. A metadata dictionary is stored with the data. Statistical analysis tasks that can be performed with the base package include the generation of descriptive statistics, bivariate statistics, prediction of numerical outcomes, and prediction of identifying groups. Although SPSS is very popular with social science researchers, its ease of use and add on modules allows it to operate as a cross-disciplinary software package. It is used by market researchers, health researchers, survey companies, government, education researchers, and others. The advantages of using SPSS as a statistical package includes a choice of using pull-down menus or a proprietary 4GL "command syntax language" to quickly perform basic statistical analysis. More specialized statistical procedures are available as SPSS add-on modules. (adapted from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spss)
Category: Quantitative Data Analysis.
Programming Language: Python, SPSS Syntax Language.
Installation Information
Version: SPSS 18. SPSS 19 is available.
Version Date: SPSS 18: 2010
Compatibility Between Versions: The SPSS dataset (.sav) file is both forward and backward compatible between SPSS 15 and 16. The output files (.spo or .spv) are not generally backwards compatible. Beginning with SPSS 16 files are written in the .spv format It is not possible to read older .spo files directly into SPSS 16. If you need to convert output files between older and newer versions of SPSS, please contact researchservices@bc.edu. Alternatively, SPSS 16 for Windows includes a Legacy Viewer (SPSS 15 Smartviewer) which can be used to read .spo files.
Technical support: Please contact Rani Dalgin at 617-552-1743 or dalgin@bc.edu.
Terms of Use/Purchase Information: Available for teaching and research in computer labs in the departments listed below, on BC-owned computers, on home computers for faculty and staff, and on students' home computers. Our annual site license includes these modules:
SPSS Base
SPSS Adv Stats/SPSS Advanced Models
SPSS Categories
SPSS Prof Stats/SPSS Regression Model
SPSS Tables
SPSS Trends
If additional modules are required, they may be purchased from SPSS at:
www.spss.com/stores/1/Software_HigherEducation_C91.cfm
Or the basic modules may be rented on a six month or yearly basis by BC students and faculty at:
Likewise, SPSS stand-alone products such as SamplePower (only available for Windows 95, 98, 2000 and NT 4.0, and therefore will not run on BC-owned computers) need to be purchased separately.
Distribution: To order SPSS for a BC-owned computer, please contact your local TC to schedule a time. Faculty and staff who wish to install SPSS on their home computer and students may download SPSS from:
www.bc.edu/software/applications/research.html.
License Information
Number of Licenses: Site licenses for BC-owned computers and for home computers for faculty, staff and students with the modules noted above.
Type of License: Annual site license.
Installed Sites: Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW), Connell School of Nursing (CSON), Carroll School of Management (CSOM), Lynch School of Education (LSOE), Gasson 09, and O'Neill 245, BC-owned computers (see Terms of Use/Purchase Information above.)
SPSS is available through a Web interface via BC's Windows's Application Server (apps.bc.edu).
Installed Platforms: Windows, Mac.
Vendor/Developer: SPSS Corporation
Vendor Website: www.spss.com
User Guide: Manuals and documentation are available in the form of PDF documents at www.bc.edu/software/applications/research.html. Manuals can be purchased from: www.spss.com/estore/softwaremenu/book.cfm.