Newsgroups: bit.listserv.erl-l
Date:         Sun, 13 Dec 1992 21:32:48 MST
From:         Gene Glass <ATGVG@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Subject:      SAS vs. SPSS: "Tastes great!" "Less filling!"
Comments: To: EDPOLYAN <EDPOLYAN@ASUACAD.BITNET>, ERL-L <ERL-L@TCSVM.BITNET>,
          "STAT-L" <STAT-L@MCGILL1.BITNET>, "EDSTAT-L" <EDSTAT-L@NCSUVM.BITNET>

     So many people kindly responded to my request for ideas about
the relative merits of SAS and SPSS last week that I feel compelled
to share with all the results of the "polling." There was much
activity off the list on this topic. Many people wrote to say that
the question was miscast, that it was an apples and oranges
situation, that both SAS and SPSS were inferior to other libraries,
that teaching ought to be done with MINITAB or STATVIEW or DATA
DESK and the like. All of these points were well made and taken to
heart. But many people expressed an overall, general statement of
their preference, and I see no reason not to lay out the numbers:
     Of over fifty persons who expressed a preference for either
SAS or SPSS, SAS was preferred 2 to 1.

     This election was not as interesting or useful as the very
sophisticated analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the two
libraries. SAS was lauded for data handling capabilities; some
insisted that SPSS was more teachable. SPSS handles survey analysis
well; SAS is better for other kinds of analysis, but BMDP has great
analysis capabilities. One person prepares data files with SAS, but
analyzes with BMDP. SPSS's clunky data handling features have been
improved in recent versions, some maintained. And so the commentary
goes.

     I excerpted and edited over 400 lines of good analysis of the
relative strengths of SAS and SPSS. Unfortunately, I compiled the
comments without attributing them to their authors; I hope no one
will feel slighted; it would have doubled the editing time. I am
reluctant to send it out over the several LISTSERVs to which I
posted the original query due to the ever-worrisome bandwidth
economies--but hey!, what's all this agonizing about bandwidth.
Have you read some of those USENET newsgroups like ALT.BACKRUBS or
ALT.MCDONALDS.KETCHUP lately? Who's telling them to get their
garbage off of our collective bandwidth? Forgive me...I digress.

     Rather than send the 400 lines of comments about SAS v SPSS to
everyone, I have archived the file on the LISTSERV at
ASUACAD.BITNET. It is simple for you to get a copy. Just send an
email letter to LISTSERV@ASUACAD.BITNET that contains the single
line
                          GET STAT NOTE

     The file will be sent to you within minutes. (If you are on a
BITNET node, you may send the message (GET STAT NOTE) to ASUACAD
interactively, via TELL LISTSERV AT ASUACAD on an IBM running CMS
or via SEND on a VAX.)

     Thanks to everyone for their help.

_______________________________________________________________________

GENE V GLASS                                    ATGVG AT ASUACAD.BITNET
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION                            ATGVG AT ASUACVAX.BITNET
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY                        INTERNET ADDRESS:
Tempe, AZ 85287-2411                            ATGVG@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU
602-965-2692
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU