Application of SPSS for Humanities Research

The ability of SPSS to store large and complex sets of data, perform multivariate analysis, allow the user to export tables and charts easily, and even handle 3D graphing makes it ideal for research in the humanities. In fact, it was originally designed for the study of social sciences till its diverse utilities made it perfect for use in other fields as well.

It is a common practice for humanities scholars to study ego centered networks and the personality of focal individuals. The software enables researchers to collect data on different parts of the network, on different individuals, use variables and values to create ties and links between the data, and study the ensuing relationships. Researchers can collect and store large sets of data to understand and summarize the characteristics of a certain group of people and their beliefs. The Aggregate function allows summary statistics to be compiled for a certain case and stored in a separate file specifically for that cluster and that case.

Researchers can perform factor and cluster analysis for identifying groups; linear regression can be calculated for predicting the results of tests, and non-parametric tests can be run for compiling statistics. This software allows a researcher to study and display the complexities and unpredictability of human beings in the logical language of numbers.

Category : Tests And Tools
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