The following freely accessible online texts are currently available:
SPSS for Windows 13.0: A Basic Tutorial by Linda Fiddler, Laura Hecht, Edward E. Nelson, Elizabeth Ness Nelson, and James Ross.
This book is intended for those who want to learn the basics of SPSS (Version 13). Additional information can be found in the SPSS Base 13.0 User' Guide (SPSS, Inc., 2004).
The book can be used as a text in a class or by those working independently. It was written as a tutorial. Each chapter has instructions that guide you through a series of problems, as well as graphics showing you what your screen should look like at various steps in the process. The data set that accompanies the text, GSS02A, can be downloaded from here. Follow the instructions for downloading the file and accessing other text information. There are also exercises at the end of each chapter for further practice and more exercises and teaching modules at this same web site.
In order to use the software that you will need for this book, you will either have to purchase SPSS or to find a computer laboratory in which SPSS has been installed. Most colleges and universities have labs where you can use SPSS. If you purchase SPSS, we suggest you buy the Graduate Pack.
SPSS for Windows 11.0: A Basic Tutorial is still available.
POWERMUTT (Politically-Oriented, Web-Enhanced Research Methods for Undergraduates - Topics and Tools) by John L. Korey.
The POWERMUTT Project is a Web site that can serve as a basic on-line textbook for teaching research methods in political science and cognate disciplines. Compared to other texts, it is more interactive and less expensive (free!). It also comes with generous terms of use that allow instructors to use the entire resource or to take and modify portions to meet their specific needs. For example, an instructor might wish to simply use one or more of the datasets and codebooks provided.
Last updated: March 1, 2007
