Johannesburg, 02 Apr 2017
Lets have a look at SPSS vs Excel from 5 different perspectives. When it comes to Statistical Analysis/Data Analysis it is so easy to get lost. This is why we want to share our experience with you and look at all the pros and cons.
When I opened SPSS for the first time a couple of years ago, my first thought was, "But this looks just like Excel?!" Cells and rows and columns. Formulas for calculations and plenty of analytical functionalities. Surely I can do what I need to do in the spreadsheet program I'm already so familiar with?
Learning curve much?
The two programs are like a hammer and a brick. Both can drive in a nail, but the one is made for it. Below are just some of the differences between SPSS and Excel
Lets have a look at 5 main differences between SPSS and Excel
1. Metadata in SPSS vs Excel
Excel holds data. SPSS holds data as well as information about that data, e.g. measurement scale, types of values, variable labels, value labels and missing values. These all play a crucial role during the analysis and reporting stages.
2. Reporting in SPSS vs Excel
Talking about the reporting stage: in Excel, all results appear right there in whichever cell the formula is typed. Which is useful only until you need to collate all the relevant pieces of output into a single document in a decent format. Instead, SPSS neatly sends all output to a separate output window.
3. User interface in SPSS vs Excel
Each and every calculation in Excel requires manually entering a formula, leaving ample room for error. SPSS allows a user to effortlessly specify and run from simple data transformations right up to the most complex general linear model via clear, easy-to-use dialog boxes.
4. Keep your history in SPSS vs Excel
SPSS contains a built-in component called Syntax which, among other benefits, enables the user to develop a record of all the procedures applied to or executed on a particular dataset. Extremely useful in case the procedures need to be described to another user or repeated in future. Excel doesn't have such a feature at all. Click here to find a previous, more in-depth blog about SPSS' Syntax.
5. Range of analytical tools in SPSS vs Excel
Since SPSS is a Statistical Package (by name), its range of analytical tools is enormous. For example, Excel can calculate the Pearson correlation between two variables. SPSS can do it for way more than two variables at a time, using Pearson and Kendall's tau-b and Spearman's methods, and indicate one or two-tailed significance tests, and flag significant correlations, and display certain summary statistics, and handle missing values in one of two ways. See figs 3a and 3b.
Excel is widely popular programme but a brick can't hit nails quite like a hammer can. So many statisticians prefer to use SPSS. OLSPS Analytics is preferred IBM SPSS supplier in Sub-Saharan and Africa.
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