It is critical to get your data entered and set up correctly in SPSS to be sure that you will work quickly and efficiently.
When importing or entering data the rule to remember is as follows: All the information about one thing does in one row, or to expand it a bit information about different things goes in different rows (and the same column) whereas information, or data, about the same thing goes in different columns (and so the same row).
So if you had a list of peoples' names and their heights, weights and ages then in the first column you would put the first person's name, in the second their height, in the third their weight and in the fourth their age. So all information about the same person goes in the same row but in different columns.
Obviously there are exceptions to this rule when you get to using SPSS and you have a variable that defines a group of things but if you're not absolutely sure you should always stick with the rule above.
When importing or entering data the rule to remember is as follows: All the information about one thing does in one row, or to expand it a bit information about different things goes in different rows (and the same column) whereas information, or data, about the same thing goes in different columns (and so the same row).
So if you had a list of peoples' names and their heights, weights and ages then in the first column you would put the first person's name, in the second their height, in the third their weight and in the fourth their age. So all information about the same person goes in the same row but in different columns.
Obviously there are exceptions to this rule when you get to using SPSS and you have a variable that defines a group of things but if you're not absolutely sure you should always stick with the rule above.