There are various types of windows in IBM SPSS Statistics:
The Data Editor Window – used to manage your data pond.
The Viewer Window – where all results of your data analysis are displayed.
The Chart Editor Window – here you can change the colors, select different type fonts or sizes, switch the horizontal and vertical axes, rotate 3-D scatterplots, and even change the chart type.
The Text Output Editor Window – all of your text output (that is not displayed in a pivot table) can be modified with the Text Output Editor.
The Syntax Editor Window – here you can easily create, edit and save command syntax for use in subsequent analysis sessions.
And the subject of this post:
The Pivot Table Editor Window – using the pivot table editor, all of your output that is displayed in pivot tables can be modified by editing text, swapping data in rows and columns, adding colors, creating multidimensional tables, and selectively hiding and showing.
If you consider that a lot of results from statistical procedures are displayed in pivot tables, you soon learn to like the SPSS Pivot Table Editor. Highlights include:
- The ability to select a statistical term in a pivot table and access its definition. This is done by selecting and then right-clicking a term and selecting what’s this?
- The ability to transpose the tables rows and columns to better fit your expected presentation
- Reorder the data presented in the table
- Resize the table
- Utilize the pivoting trays feature. With this feature you can move data between columns, rows, and layers just by dragging and dropping
- Change table formats. You can change the font name, font size, font style (bold or italic), and color
- Hide unneeded data from being presented in the table
Reformat the data in the table for example numerical percentages, currency, number of decimals, etc.
Image is everything!
The format of your pivot table is a critical part of providing clear, concise, and meaningful results. If your table is difficult to read, the information contained within that table may not be easily understood. If the above features fall short in your effort to produce a professional grade pivot table, than you can utilize the “TableLooks” dialog to select a predefined professional table style or, if you are inclined, build one of your own.
Almost all aspects of a table can be customized, from the background color to the border styles:
All of these features are extremely easy to use “right out of the SPSS box”.
“Why do I do the things I do? Was I born this way or am I a self made fool?” – Chris Knight
