SPSS for Social Workers (with CD-ROM)

This well-illustrated text is specifically designed and class-tested for use with social work students who are taking their first course in statistics and SPSS.

Through a step-by-step, engaging instruction of SPSS, this text gives students the skills needed for foundational statistical analysis, based on actual data from social work research projects. With relevant examples of practice and policy throughout the text, instruction focuses on the creation, organization, manipulation and transformation of data sets. The text covers statistical material on topics including, but not limited to: normal distributions, cross-tabulations and chi-square analysis, correlations, introductory regression, and tests involving group comparisons. A tabular, instructional format is used throughout, with one column for instructions and another for explanatory notes/comments, allowing students to readily track their progress and check each step once undertaken. The instructions are liberally supported with screen shots, charts and sample output (Chs. 2-8). References are made to SPSS 12.0 throughout the text, but it also can be used with earlier versions.

Although not designed as a statistics text, it includes sufficient statistical material to assist students without prematurely burdening them with information too far beyond the scope of an introductory course. The text aims to engender familiarity and confidence in the tasks of quantitative analysis.