Recoding Variables in SPSS This is a quick tutorial on how to recode variables in SPSS.

In this dataset, lets try recoding ethnicity (which currently shows various ethnic groups) into just two variablesany minority group (values of 2 or 3 on the original variable) vs. non-minority (values of 4 or 5 on the original variable). Below, I have selected the variable in SPSS, but this is just to show you which one were working on.

To do the recoding, were going to use the Transform menu in SPSS (usually were in the Analyze menu for statistical analyses). From the Transform menu, select Recode. You will see a sub-menu with two choices: Either you can recode into the same variable (which will over-write your original data with the new data), or you can create a new variable to put the recoded data into. Lets put the recoded data into a new location, so that we can check our work. Select Into Different Variables from the sub-menu.

This dialog box will appear.

First, select the ethnic variable from the left-hand list, and use the arrow to move it to the list (in the middle) of variables that will be recoded. Second, make up a name for the new variable where youre going to put the re-coded values. I just called my new variable ethnic2. Type the name in here, then click the change button to make it appear in the middle list. Now the middle list should show that the values in ethnic are going to become new values in ethnic2. Finally, click on the button marked Old and New Values to continue.

Heres how the screen looks after you have completed the steps above, and before you click Old and New Values to continue.

This sub-dialog will appear:

Type in each old value on the left, and the new value that you want that number re-coded to on the right. Then use the Add button to add it to this list on the right-hand side. In this case, we have re-coded the values 2 and 3 to be 1s instead, and the numbers 4 and 5 to be 2s instead. Zeroes have not been assigned a new value, so they wont be included in the re-coding.

Heres the new variable in the data table. You can double check to see that all of the 4s and 5s in the ethnic column have become 2s in the ethnic2 column, and all of the 2s and 3s in the ethnic column have become 1s in the ethnic2 column.