If you understand spss variable formats and types, it will help you in getting things done accurately and quickly. Introduce for example you have age variables which value is 10, 11, 12. For example, for subject 2, the second trial is blank. Since the default variable type in spss is numeric, you need to define your string variable in advance. This module shows how to create and recode variables. In some cases, you may have nonnumeric symbols in your string variable that stand for numeric values. In ibm spss statistics, people frequently have categorical variables with lots of values.
In spss, the first step involves defining the names and inherent traits of the variable. With convert keyword, you can convert a variable type from string to numeric. Items esteem1, esteem2, and esteem4 are worded positively with respect to higher selfesteem i am a person of worth, i have good qualities. Can anyone offer some syntax for recoding date ranges. No one involved in cam4 is responsible for any expenses brought about, pay or loss of profit caused to any user from the use of internet languages, protocols and software.
Click arrow button to put your variable into the right window 4. Its almost never the case that the data are set up exactly the way you need them for your analysis. After recoding we must respecify the value labels for all three variables. Click the output variables are strings checkbox so that it will except values that are not numbers. In spss, how do i convert between numeric variables and. In spss, recoding categorical string variables to numeric codes and converting blank strings to missing values can be done automatically using automatic recode. Ibm spss statistics 19 command syntax reference, page 55. Recoding variables can be tedious, but it is often a necessary part of data analysis. Spssx discussion syntax for do if var contains string x.
Close data without saving and reopen before proceeding. The format family is indicated by one or more letters. The recode command is used to change some or all values of a variable. Cialis 40 mg, cialis price rprogramming online pill. Dear statalisters i am trying to recode a string variable and am having a hard time. You can recode single values, ranges of values, and missing values. In spss you can create new variables with compute and you can modify the values of an existing variable with recode. Handling data management using spss research data mantra. Note that this dialog window allows you to recode specific values, ranges of values, and missing values into new values. What automatic recode does is, its not recoding the cases,its not ranking. Sometimes, you need to recode string variables into numeric variables.
I understand why, because when using the statement recode posfeed pi 1 into pi. You might notice that some of the reaction times are left blank in the data below. Free ibm spss statistics 19 training tutorials from atomic training. The program can process a large number of cases more efficiently with the. As an example i will do the automatic recode on the string variable jobcategory to the right in the data file. This post is about recode into different variables. It isnt unusual for this data to have been entered as string values alphanumeric characters. Specify a list of variables, followed by a list of their usermissing values in parentheses. The new string values cannot be longer than the defined width of the target variable. Type the first value of your input variable into the old value value text box, and the value you want to replace it with into the new value value text box. Automatic recode from string to numeric in ibm spss statistics duration. Recoding string variables automatic recode spss tutorials.
This may sound daunting but its perfectly doable if we use the right combination of commands. You can also use the recode command to recode more than one variable at a. Spss how to convert string variables into numeric ones. The recode command recodes a nominal variable that has a limited number of values suppose you want to recode an existing variable q1 so that the scale is inverted i. In the example above, a8 indicates a string variable eight characters long, and f2. Well dichotomize variables v4 to v6 by changing values 1, 2 and 3 into 0 and values 4 and 5 into 1 as implied by recode v4 to v6 1,2,3 04,5 1. Use the if qualifier to recode 7 and 9 values of a variable as missing. Variables may either be recoded into numeric variables or into string variables. How to convert string into numeric form in spss without. Now, automatic recode worksa little differently from some of these others. In this video i show you how to convert text data into numeric data.
Assume that in addition to the values 1 thru 4, there are also values 8 and 9 which are defined as missing values. I realize that it is possible to use the numeric date value, however, i find this to be somwhat cumbersome. In this situation, you must use automatic recode in order for spss to recognize blank strings as missing values. Systemmissing values and ranges cannot be selected for string variables because neither concept applies to string variables. Option 1 assign missing values one variable at a time. For example, if you are grouping bmi you might use the name bmigroup. Its in an excel file, and when you get it over to spss it will automatically be string variables and you are very limited to do statistics on that. The only way to read raw data with fields left blank is with fixed. In that case, you can also convert them into numbers. And here you get a summary of the new variable that is called jobcat.
How to recode string variables with multiple values in one cell in. Optionally, you can define a subset of cases to recode. Published with written permission from spss statistics, ibm corporation. How to recode string variables with multiple values in one cell in spss. Recoding variables in spss statistics recoding data into. Since weve 480 cases in our data, were done for s1.
When there is a need for data that is present, but not in the right form, the process of recoding helps convert values to a usable format. Suppose you want to recode an existing variable q1 so that the scale is inverted i. Dichotomize multiple variables spss recode example 2. This is followed by entering values into each defined variable. You type in new variable names on your new variables, i have typed in att1 and. The data given below represents a satisfaction rating out of 10 for a new service offered by a company.
The first thing i do is recode the string state variable into a numeric variable entitled region. Hello, you can save the file as csv in excel, then open it in spss. Ive been using spss for the past 5 years, but one problem ive consistently run into is my syntax not being recognized by spss when trying to recode long string variables. Thus, values snake and wild include trailing blanks for a total of six characters. For context, i often have to recode arrest charges, which are often misspelled, into singular charges or group various charges together into larger charge categories. A quick and easy to understand tutorial explaining how to recode string.
To create a new string variable, declare the variable with the string command before specifying it on recode. I got a question from a user who wanted to know if there were a smart way to recode string variables that was automatically created when opening an excel data file into spss statistics yes, the answer is automatic recode, a really effective command this was something i also showed in the continue webinar the 18 sep, and you can find the recording. Recoding text strings and then converting to numer. The company would like to code all those who responded by giving ratings above 5 a satisfactory code and those below 5 a dissatisfactory code. Before running analysis using spss a user need learn how to code and enter data in spss system.
To find out more about this series and other software training atomic training. Missing values sets usermissing values for numeric and string variables. String variables recode command ibm knowledge center. If the into keyword is present followed by a list of target variables the result is stored into the target variables list one or more variables, otherwise the variables are changed in place. You could do that, but if all of your missing variable strings are coded as 66, i would just make a new set of variables, recode the 66. How to recode string variables in spss quick spss tutorial. Written and illustrated tutorials for the statistical software spss. You really should avoid alphanumerics, though, and there is a simple way to make the data better. Cant assign missing values to string variable in spss using. Is there an easy replace or recode command to do this for a string variable. From transform menu recode into same variable old and new variables system missing in value space add the value you want to replace the missing data with continue ok.
Each row and column represents source of data and characteristics of the measured data respectively. In spss, recoding categorical string variables to numeric codes and converting blank strings to missing values can be done automatically. Using both the menu driven approach as well as syntax, i demonstrate how to create value labels for variables in spss. In r, you can re code an entire vector or array at once. Learn the format and type of spss variables and get in control of your data. To illustrate, lets set up a vector that has missing values. These variables may be string variables or they may be numeric.
Systemmissing values cannot be generated for string variables, since any character is a legal string value. Creating and recoding variables spss learning modules. When i attempt to define 999 as a missing value code spss responds that. How can i convert blank spaces in spss data into one missing. In the output variable box, type in a name for the new grouped variable. You can also use the recode command to recode more than one variable at a time. Although creating a new variable is effective, it is also inefficient because you have to create a new data set that contains the new variable. Ascertaining spss variable formats spss differentiates write and print formats. I have a string variable with abbreviations for different sectors e. Is it possible to use a userdefined missing value code e. About recode values when you create a question, a recode value and a variable name are automatically assigned to each answer choice. Were assuming that youve fired up spss, opened a data file, or entered new. You may have noticed earlierwhen we were recoding variables,that when we went to the transform menu,underneath the recode into same and different variableswas an alluring alternative,and thats the automatic recode.
The data given below represents the scores of 10 students in a final examination. Recoding variables in spss statistics recoding a given. Otherwise, spss will consider the blank category as a valid category. Ive searched high and low and read all of the syntax reference documents with no success, i know you can replace a string within a variable via replace page 337 of the syntax ref that i have but i cant find any reference to a way of using part of a string variable as an argument in a do if statement. Essentially im trying to achieve what this pseudo code says. Click old and new values and specify how to recode values. Precisely, well flag non empty string values that are system missing after the conversion. Another way to convert string representations of numeric values into a numeric variable is to use the recode command with the convert option. For instance when you merge variables from an external file to the current data matrix and the file contains fewer observations, the nonexisting data values. That is the accepted way of indicating system missing data in the data set. Try ibm spss statistics subscription make it easier to perform powerful. To open the automatic recode procedure, click transform automatic recode.
Adding variables together in spss using the compute variables function duration. Cant assign missing values to string variable in spss. How to make multiple selection cases on spss software. Value labels will be defined for numeric variables. One of the most common ways to re code data in excel is. Capture all the information you need about peoples attitudes and opinions.
With into keyword, you can recode values of a variable into a new variable numeric conversion into the same variable recode code convert into numcode. Recode the data giving code 1 to scores between 75 100, code 2 to scores between 61 74, code 3 to scores between 41 60 and code 4 to scores between 0 40. How to code and enter data in spss expert writing help blog. Repeat this process for all the existing values of your input variable. Recode specifies state as the source variable and state1 as the target variable. If you have any questions please feel free to post them in the comments section below and i will get. This is because spss, by default, recognizes blank strings as valid values. How can i change a string variable into a numeric variable. Recoding text strings and then converting to numeric posted 0801 2019. If you recorded the missing values for a string variable using some kind of nonblank indicator for example, 999 or 999 and have already defined that usermissing value in the variable view window, automatic recode will preserve the missing designation, but will still convert the category code to be in the range of the other categories suppose that the below syntax was. You can also convert numeric variables to string variables, and vice versa. Recoding string variables recode, or creating derived variables. Legal requirements vsin may disclose your personal data within the company, to affiliates and subsidiaries, employees, customers, or others.
How to convert multiple string varibles into numeric in spss. The variables esteem1 to esteem5 are coded from 1 strongly disagree through 4 strongly agree. On one hand, it looks like an spss recode command to change the numerictext combos to string numerics plus an alter type command to convert the string variable to a samenamed numeric f format variable. If you select multiple variables, they must be the same type numeric or string. You could do that, but if all of your missing variable strings are coded as 66, i would just make a new set of variables, recode the 66 to a blank string, and then concatenate the variables all. As these are at least suspicious, well call those conversion failures. Once you click old and new values, a new window where you will specify how to transform the values will appear 1 old value. Sep 03, 2016 before running analysis using spss a user need learn how to code and enter data in spss system. In this section we will see how to create new variables with compute. Most data values are string numerics1, 10, 20, etc a formatbut others are numerictext combos, like what i posted. Check that the columns dont contain any unintended characters. Long string variables may have missing values, but characters after the first 8 bytes of the missing value must be spaces. The new values can be stored in the same variable or in a new one.
Recoding variables spss tutorials libguides at kent. One data manipulation task that you need to do in pretty much any data analysis is recode data. Almost every sas programmer has written a data step that uses ifthenelse logic or the selectwhen statements to recode variables. The recode command recodes a nominal variable that has a limited number of values. If the new values are shorter than the defined width of the target variable, the values are rightpadded with blanks.
Old values must be the same data type numeric or string as the original variable. Copyingrecoding string variables into new variable. With recode, you can change the values of an existing variable. For example, recode to some unused string value, like 99999 and set the value 99999 as usermissing afterwards. Oct 22, 2018 and as you can see in the column heads there are a lot of string variables they have this little symbol with an a. You can also recode variables in place into same variables instead of recoding them into new variables. This video tutorial will teach you how to key numeric and string values. Check missing values and physical surveys if you use paper surveys, and make sure they are really missing. Recode changes to codes of one or more variables varlist1 according to a list of specifications enclosed in parentheses.
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