As we’re still in the initial stages of learning the methods we’ll be utilizing throughout the semester, I’m still just becoming familiar with the basic concepts of SPSS. I’ll admit I’m still a bit uncertain about being able to remember all of the basic nuances needed to complete the simplest of functions, however I’m confident that those will get easier in time. The author of the SPSS textbook, Philip Pollock, is humorously engaging in his style of writing. I find his highly broken down way of leading the reader through steps of equations to be very helpful, and I’m thankful that he’s not chosen to write in a more cut-and-dry, traditional way like most textbooks.
I’m also blown away at the sheer amount of data that is present in the program. Even more impressive is the fact that (to my understanding) all of the information is verified research. It’s such a cool feeling to know that we’re actually handling and analyzing actual research that applies to the real world! I’m encouraged by this, and look forward to internalizing how to perform these kinds of analytical studies. I know the lessons we’re learning now will be invaluable in getting me through my capstone research next year.
