SPSS (statistical software)

IBM SPSS is used for statistical data analysis, surveys, empirical research and data visualization. The software is particularly suitable for the quantitative evaluation of research data in teaching and science.

Suitable for students, lecturers and employees with a UniAccount who carry out statistical evaluations - especially in the social sciences, economics, education and engineering.

The software is provided and licenses are managed by the IT Service Centre. The respective institutes or departments are responsible for the technical application.

SPSS enables comprehensive statistical analyses, data management and visualization of quantitative research data. Users can apply statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, regression models, variance analyses or factor analyses and present results in a clear format. Particularly in the social and economic sciences, SPSS supports students and researchers in efficient data analysis and empirical research projects.

• free alternatives:

  • PSPP [external]

  • Jamovi [external]

  • JASP [external]

  • Gretl [external]

  • R [external]

• Stata

• Descriptive statistics: calculation of mean values, frequencies, scatter, etc.

• Bivariate and multivariate methods: Correlation analyses, regression analyses, analyses of variance (ANOVA), factor analyses, etc.

• Diagrams and visualizations: Bar charts, line plots, box plots, scatter plots and much more.

• Syntax and automation: Your own analyses can be reproducibly saved and automatically executed using SPSS syntax.

• SPSS offers close integration with Excel (e.g. for data import and export), OpenOffice and databases via ODBC connections. Results can be exported directly to Word or PowerPoint.

• Students evaluate an online survey with regression analyses as part of a final thesis.

• A research team analyzes patient data from a study using cluster analysis.

• Teachers use SPSS to create and illustrate teaching materials with real data sets.

• Operating systems: Windows 10 or newer/ macOS Catalina (10.15) or newer
• Hardware:

  • At least 8 GB RAM (16 GB or more recommended)

  • Free hard disk space: at least four times the size of the data file to be processed (e.g. 8 GB free space for a 2 GB SPSS file)

• Notes:

  • SPSS is not compatible with ChromeOS, Linux or mobile platforms.

SPSS version 29 (v29.0.1.1) is currently not compatible with macOS 14 Sonoma. IBM is aware of the issue but has not yet provided a definitive date for a fix. It is recommended that macOS SPSS users do not upgrade to macOS 14 Sonoma for the time being.

SPSS and Amos are used via a central license server, which is accessible via the university's wired network and via VPN.
To cancel a license, the server must be addressed. Details can be found under"Instructions and further links".

No training courses are currently offered.

The processing of personal data in SPSS must be carried out in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations. Sensitive data may only be stored on private devices if suitable protective measures are taken.

Use is restricted to the study and work context at the university. Passing on the software or license data to third parties is prohibited. The license conditions of IBM and the usage guidelines of the IT Service Center apply.