Import data from a tab delimited text file

May 3rd, 2006 andris

First refer to Importing data into SPSS. If you have read it, than you can continue below.

1. Select File -> Open -> Data
2. Choose Text as the File Type
3. Select the file you want to import and click Open

4. The next thing that will pop up is the Import text wizard. First click Next if your file does not match a predefined format. It probably doesn’t, so click Next.  

5. In step 2, you can set the first question to Delimited. In the second question you choose wether you have a header row or not (are variables names included in the top of the file). After setting the options right, choose Next.

6. In step 3, set the line where the first case of your data begins (normally on line 1), set how your cases are represented (normally each line represents a case), and how many cases you want to import (choose for yourself, normally you import All of the cases. Click Next.

 

7. In step 4, set the delimiters of your file (Tab it would be). If your text has quotes (or anything else) around it, than specify this. In most cases you can just set it to None. As you can see, based on the choices you make here, SPSS already formats the file in the small screen in the bottom. There you can check if everything is set correctly. Choose Next when it looks fine.

 

8. In step 5 you can set the specifications for the variables, but you can just skip it if you have already defined your variables or want to do it later. Choose Next.

9. In step 6 you can just leave all the options as they are, and click Finish. You’re done!

Entry Filed under: 1. Getting data into SPSS,Questions and answers