Dear Sean,

                   I have often copied and pasted cases in SPSS without any problem at all. I select (highlight) the data I want to copy, then copy (EDIT-COPY), place the cursor at the first vacant square in the first column and EDIT-PASTE. But remember to use EDIT-COPY and EDIT-PASTE rather than Cntrl-C and Cntrl-V. Copying and pasting between EXCEL and SPSS is just as easy. I often use EXCEL to manipulate data before pasting it back into SPSS. There is of course always the option of merging data sets in SPSS [DATA-MERGE FILES} (either adding cases or adding variables). Hope this helps.

Dear Sean,

I can help you easily by sending your data to my email, or send any data to explain your request clearly.

Hi Sean,

I sometimes have the same problem with the questionmarks, in my experience it helps saving the file again (under a new name of course), closing and reopening. It sounds like the program is over-worked, that's usually when the questionmarks appear.

As to the other problem, have you thought of pasting the cases into Excel, copying them there and then only once pasting them back into SPSS? It's not the most elegant way, but it might work...

Dear Sean,

It happens some time when you are using a computer or laptop with slow processors. You just wait for few seconds or 1-2 minutes these question marks would be converted in the numbers.

Actually I also faced this problem during Ph.D., I am sure it will work.

Dear Sean,

                   I have often copied and pasted cases in SPSS without any problem at all. I select (highlight) the data I want to copy, then copy (EDIT-COPY), place the cursor at the first vacant square in the first column and EDIT-PASTE. But remember to use EDIT-COPY and EDIT-PASTE rather than Cntrl-C and Cntrl-V. Copying and pasting between EXCEL and SPSS is just as easy. I often use EXCEL to manipulate data before pasting it back into SPSS. There is of course always the option of merging data sets in SPSS [DATA-MERGE FILES} (either adding cases or adding variables). Hope this helps.

I think the problem is because of your laptop or you software. I suggest you at the first, in spss save as your data and in save as window in save as type, choose XLS, or XLSX, your date will be saved as the excel file.after that , open the excel file and paste your extra cases and save it.

finally you open spss program and  choose open menu and click on your excel data.

Yes, doing in Excel is much easier but I never face problem of Copy/Paste in SPSS.

in my sense,  the problem might have arisen by a mistake. Always make sure that the variable is set before pasting anything in the SPSS data sheet.

Hi,

PIE faced this problem and I transported my data to Excel, worked there,then back to SPSS.It worked.

Hello Sean,

I have to admit, when I'm at the analysis stage of a study I would always sort the data in Excel (again, rename) and analyse in SPSS.  Best option for me.

Best of luck...

In my experience, going back and forward from SPSS to Excel can create big mistakes in your date. Staying in SPSS is a safer option. Either way, check whether the date is copied correctly, and did not 'jump' one line or something.

With me, copy paste usually works in SPSS. But a safer way is to save your dataset in two different files. And then merge these files several times, saying you want to add new cases. Probably superfluous, but keep in mind that you need to change the names of the cases in the different files, otherwise merging will not add the extra cases.

Marlijn's answer raises another question: why do you want to copy the cases? If you copy the independent or design variables with a view to adding the new values of the response variable(s) afterwards, then OK. But if you think of increasing your sample size by simply duplicating the data, you have a surprise coming .... 

I strongly advise against using point-and-click (or copy and paste) methods for manipulating (i.e. creating or modifying) your data! Copy and paste does not create a protocol showing which data have been modified in which way and thus does not allow to trace back errors or to reproduce the results achieved. Instead you always should use syntax (command files) which not only document what you have done but also allow to repeat those steps again, if necessary. Especially if you want to repeat this "over and over again" (as you write): Don't copy the data but copy the respective parts of the syntax, run it, and (if OK) save it for future use.

Here is a small example for duplicateing the values of a certain variable v2. I added a variable "added" allowing to filter out original and added values. Note that I also duplicate the variable casenum which helps you to identify where the values came from. Simply copy and past the commands into your SPSS syntax window, select all, and run:

* === begin example: ================= .

data list list

    /casenum v1 v2.

begin data

  1 0 23.5

  2 0 33.4

  3 1 42.4

  4 1 44.2

  5 1 17.9

end data.

* Adding (duplicate) the values of v2 of cases  1-5 repeatedly to the dataset: .

compute added = 0.

save outfile = "data_v2.sav"

    /keep casenum v2.

* add data first time: .

add files file = *

         /file = "data_v2.sav".

if missing(added) added = 1.

exe.

* add data second time: .

add files file = *

         /file = "data_v2.sav".

if missing(added) added = 2.

exe.

* check results: .

list all.

* === end example =========================== .

Success!

MS Excel is a simple and user friendly software where can edit data. However the chances of errors are high.

What we are using Fox Pro front and SQL program at back end. SQL server has audit trail which tells you about changes (what, when and by whom). After data cleaning, transferred  to SPSS or STATA or SAS or any other software for data analysis. 

Dirk Enzmann made you a nice syntax.

Hi sean,

I had faced this sort of problem in my Master. When I run spss using uni username it was ok  I could able to copy and paste but later on I used to see totally blann dots and errors. So What I did is  to download SPSS trial verson in my computer and used those copy and paste. Finally, it was sort out. So Please check SPSS itself. you try SPSS trial verson without paying anything and try it. may be it will help.

I'm with Dirk: never ever copy-paste data in SPSS or via Excel. Not only because mistakes are easy to make and often difficult to detect, but because you would have no documentation of what you have done. No documentation is a severe blow to scientific integrity. Using a syntax like Dirk showed, and saving that file next to the data file, is the only way to go!

My advice to our PhD-students is to keep the original data in a seperate folder and create a new folder for each paper including a syntax file to document how the source data were used to produce the work file (so in SPSS we get a 'datapaper1.sps' that documents the 'datapaper1.sav').

Copy the data and choose only one case on spss than paste

I have encountered the similar issue...

When you are in a “Variable view” the simple Copy and Paste method left the blank spaces in “Data view”. That means you have to copy the concrete cases in “Data view”. This can be done by simple Copy and Paste method. And then apply Copy and Paste in “Variable View” and you have the same variable twice in your data file.

There have been arguments against this simple procedure, in regards to possible errors occurring. But, we are using statistical software, right? So, we can check, whether the data are identical. Simply apply:

1. Analyze

2. Descriptive statistics

3. Frequencies or Descriptives (based on your preference) and put both variables to test.

When the number of cases, missing cases, mean and even number of specific values of cases are the same, you can be sure, that you have the same variable twice…

Hope it helps…

I have a similar problem. I designed a questionnaire in survey monkey where I needed about half of the respondents to answer one version of a questionnaire and the other half a second version (same questions but with pictures on top). Answers to a multiple choice question decided which respondents got the first and which the second version. Now, when I transferred the data into SPSS, I got two groups of variables in the data file, a group of the responses of the first group and a group from the second. Since I want all the answers combined for my analysis, can I copy/paste the second group where the first is on the spreadsheet? (There are blank rows where the answers of the second group fit, since all respondents are on the same column, and the second group answers are just displaced to the right)