Adventures in social research : data analysis using IBM SPSS statistics / Earl Babbie ... [and others].

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. Preparing for data analysis. Introduction : the theory and practice of social research ; The logic of measurement ; Description of data sets : the general social survey -- Part II. Univariate analysis. Using SPSS statistics : some basics ; Describing your data : religiosity ; Presenting your data in graphic form : political orientations ; Recoding your data : religiosity and political orientations ; Creating composite measures : exploring attitudes toward abortion in more depth ; Suggestions for further analysis -- Part III. Bivariate analysis. Examining the sources of religiosity ; Political orientations as cause and effect ; What causes different attitudes toward abortion? ; Measures of association for nominal and ordinal variables ; Correlation and regression analysis ; Tests of significance ; Suggestions for further bivariate analyses -- Part IV. Multivariate analysis. Multiple causation : examining religiosity in greater depth ; Dissecting the political factor ; A powerful prediction of attitudes toward abortion ; Suggestions for further multivariate analyses -- Part V. The adventure continues. Designing and executing your own survey ; Further opportunities for social research -- Appendix A: The codebook -- Appendix B: Questionnaire for class survey.

Written by esteemed social science research authors, Adventures in Social Research: Data Analysis Using IBM® SPSS® Statistics, Eighth Edition encourages students to practice SPSS as they read about it and provides a practical, hands-on introduction to conceptualization, measurement, and association through active learning. This fully revised workbook will guide students through step-by-step instruction on data analysis using the latest version of SPSS and the most up to date General Social Survey data. Arranged to parallel most introductory research methods texts, this text starts with an introduction to computerized data analysis and the social research process, then walks readers step-by-step through univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis using SPSS Statistics. In this revised edition, active and collaborative learning will be emphasized as students engage in a series of practical investigative exercises.