Chapter 7
More about Defining Your Data
IN THIS CHAPTER
Understanding the special properties of dates and times
Creating multiple response sets
Copying variable definitions from another file
Without a definition, a number serves no purpose. For example, the number 3 could be the number of miles, or an answer to a multiple-choice question, or the number of jelly beans in your pocket. As you can see, a variable’s definition is important.
Data type is part of a variable’s definition. The data type is more than just a tag — it determines how a value can be manipulated. For example, calculating date arithmetic (the distance in time between two dates) would be a nightmare without the proper date format. As soon as you specify the proper date format, you can take advantage of special menus for manipulating dates.
Multiple-response variables — those “check all that apply” questions on surveys — are another kind of variable type that needs extra attention. Again, when you create multiple-response variables properly, you can use a special menu dedicated to this type of variable. Finally, all this data definition stuff can be time consuming, so SPSS includes a special shortcut menu for copying ...
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