Instructions: Creating your own SPSS file - LibQUAL+

Creating your own SPSS file
The LibQUAL+ ® system now furnishes you with two .csv (comma separated value) text
documents needed to create your SPSS file. These can be found in the Data Repository
located at http://www.libqual.org/SurveyInstruments/LibQual/DataRepository.aspx .
The documents to download are:
Raw Data file
SPSS Syntax file
The creation of the SPSS file entails two main steps. These are: 1) importing the raw
data into SPSS and creating a .sav file and 2) applying the syntax file to provide
metadata for the raw data contained in the .sav file.
Step 1: Importing raw data into SPSS and creation of the .sav file
Open your SPSS application
Select the following from the command menu: File | Read Text Data. In the
resulting dialogue box, browse to the location of your raw data file (be sure to
select ‘All Files’ in the Files of Type drop‐down box.
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Selection of the raw data file in the previous step should bring up the Text
Import Wizard. Follow the steps as illustrated below. Navigate through the six
steps by clicking the ‘Next’ button. After you reach the end of the wizard, click
‘Finish’.
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Prior to this step, you may see a warning stating “Invalid variable names for this application have
been found and changed.” Disregard this box by clicking ‘OK’
After completing the Text Import Wizard, you should see your data in a SPSS
window. Be sure to save your file after the data import.
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Step 2: Applying the syntax file to provide metadata for the .sav file
Before you apply the syntax to your .sav file, will need to prepare the .csv file that
contains your customized SPSS syntax. The steps in this process differ depending on
your reporting language and the spreadsheet application you are using. Microsoft Excel®
has issues rendering Unicode encoding natively that other spreadsheet applications
such as OpenOffice’s Calc do not. Try the instructions for American English/ASCIIencoded
first. If the characters appear corrupt /altered in the opened spreadsheet, then
try the alternate instructions.
Instructions for American English and other ASCII‐encoded Languages
Open your customized SPSS syntax file in your spreadsheet application (e.g. MS
Excel). The sheet should appear in two columns as illustrated in the image below.
Select the columns with text and copy.
In the window of your SPSS data file, browse to File | New | Syntax
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In the resulting new syntax window, paste the text from the .csv file
Select all text in the SPSS syntax window (Edit | Select All) and click the “Run
Current” icon (the blue arrow in the top bar).
If the file runs successfully, you will see the results in the output window and the
variable view of the .sav file should look similar to the illustration below (with
items populated in the Label, Values, and Missing columns). You are now ready
to begin your analysis. Happy hunting!
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