Exporting Coded Data: SPSS, R, and Python Formats

A guide to exporting coded survey data in formats optimized for statistical analysis software.

After coding open-ended survey responses, exporting the data in the right format for your analysis software is critical. Different tools require different file structures.

This guide covers exporting coded survey data to SPSS (.sav with value labels), R (factors and tidy data frames), Python (pandas DataFrames), and Excel.

Learn about layout options — wide format, binary dummy coding, and one-row-per-code — and when to use each for cross-tabulation, regression, and reporting.

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