Demo - adding variable properties to the Variable View

Consider that you have just read data from an Excel spreadsheet to IBM SPSS Statistics. Now, you wish to add variable properties to the Variable View. Here is an example using AGE.

In the IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor, press the Variable View tab to go to the Variable View. Note that some of the properties are already filled in. Reading left to right, Name, Type, Width, and Decimals can be left as is.

In the Label area for AGE, type in the label, Age of respondent.

In the Values area for AGE, click on the right side to open the Value Labels dialog box. The AGE data codes are intrinsically meaningful and do not need labels, but we will add labels for missing values. Also, the data code of 89 represents respondent's age 89 and older, so we wish to add a label for that. In sum, use the dialog box to add the following values and value labels:

89         89 or older

98         Don't know

99         No answer

In the Missing area for AGE, click on the right side to open the Missing Values dialog box. Press the Discrete missing values button. Enter 98 and 99 in the first two boxes and press OK.