Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 12:48:50 EST
Reply-To: Marijaspss@aol.com
Sender: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Marija Norusis <Marijaspss@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Comments on SPSS documentation
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Greetings--
I am glad you liked my manuals. I've written new statistical manuals which
are not distributed together with the software. They must be purchased
separately from Prentice Hall. The SPSS Statistical Procedures Companion covers
procedures in the Base Manual, while the SPSS Advanced Statistical Procedures
Companion covers procedures in the SPSS Advanced and Regression modules. Here
are the links:
_http://vig.prenhall.com:8081/catalog/academic/product/0,4096,0131096729,00.ht
ml_
(http://vig.prenhall.com:8081/catalog/academic/product/0,4096,0131096729,00.html)
_http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131865404,00.html_
(http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131865404,00.html)
Send me any comments/suggestions you may have.
Marija Norusis
In a message dated 2/14/2005 9:04:50 A.M. Central Standard Time,
adrian.barnett@HEALTH.SA.GOV.AU writes:
Hi
I'd have to agree with you there. To some extent they have gone backward.
The older manuals were very enlightening on the statistical procedures used.
They were not a substitute for a text on the topic, but, given the wide
divergence in notation used by different texts, it was especially useful to
see how the procedure had actually been implemented. Picking up several
texts on a subject will not often enlighten you on where an how a particular
thing is in the output. Marija Norusis' manuals were excellent for this.
Even the old magenta-coloured manual from the 1970s was a pretty good intro
to a whole range of procedures.
Whilst I can see that it's not possible for SPSS to essentially write stats
texts they cannot just give a syntax for a procedure and leave you to work
out for yourself how it relates to what the textbooks cover.
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