Use of EpiData (questionnaire design and entry)

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Use of EpiData(questionnaire design and entry)

• Jurgita Bagdonaite
• Jurmala, Latvia, 2006
• Based on EPIET material

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Introduction to EpiData

• Data entry and documentation
• Free program
• Based on EpiInfo
• Windows format
• No limit on No of observation
• (tested with gt100.000)

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EpiData (I)

• Creating questionnaire
• Controlled data entry
• Documenting and printing data
• Correction of questionnaires, records
• Comparing of 2 data files
• Importing and exporting data
• Simple analysis

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EpiData (II)

• Simple surveys one questionnaire
• Complicated surveys few questionaires
• If there is ID possible to merge data

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EpiData files

• .QES file
• Questionnaire
• .REC file
• Actual data
• .CHK file
• Any defined checks
• Other notes or log files

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EpiData workflow

• 1. Define Data
• 2. Make Data File
• 3. Set up Checks

• 4. Enter Data
• 5. Document
• 6. Export Data

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Creating Questionnaire

• Define Data
• Can either open .QES file or create one

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New questionnaire

• Type in window
• Cut and paste from Word documents
• Preview questionnaire
• (click Make data file gt preview data form)

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Structure of questionnaire

• Three sections
• Field name (variable)
• Text describing field
• Input definition (number/ letters/ date)

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Field name (variable)

• No more than 10 characters
• Begin with a letter
• No spaces or punctuation marks

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Field Name (II)

• First word
• Uses first word of line
• Automatic
• EpiData generates field names based on question
• Uses first 10 letters
• Childquest Child questionnaire ltYgt

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Automatic field names

• Text in curly brackets used in preference
• Common words skipped (what, the, and, etc.)
• If question starts with number, N is inserted
  before the number

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Automatic field names, examples

• Question Field name
• Did you eat ice cream EATICECREAM
• What is your name? ISYOURNAME
• 2. Age N2AGE

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Variable type

• Define variables using Pick List or Code
  writer
• Choose type of variable
• Numeric
• Text
• Date
• Soundex
• Boolean (Yes/No)
• Autonumber

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Text variables

• Information of text and/or numbers
• Holding information (e.g. names, addresses)
• UPPER CASE
• Can only hold upper case (capital) letters
• Lower case variable automatically converted into
  upper case text (ex Egypt converted into EGYPT)
• No mathematical operations
• Length (How many characters)
• lt_gt

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Numeric variables

• Numerical information
• Hold integers (whole numbers) or numbers with a
  decimal point
• Length (digits, decimals after the comma)
• ltgt, lt.gt

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Other variables

• Boolean variables (s. logical variables s.
  YES/NO variables)
• only two possible answers Yes or No
• ltYgt
• Date variables
• Hold information on dates
• Data in american ltMM/DD/YYYYgt
• European ltDD/MM/YYYYgt
• Soundex
• Coding of words (anonymous, eg. A-123)
• Code to limit orthographic errors (eg. Rome and
  Roma)
• ltS gt

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System variables

• Values generated automatically
• Today date date of the data entry
• ltToday-dmygt
• ltToday-mdygt
• Auto identification number Counts the records
  entered
• ltIDNUMgt

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Save Questionnaire

• Preview data
• Save questionnaire
• Creates .QES file
• Create Data file
• Click Make Data file button gt Make Data file
• Creates .REC file
• Questionnaire and Data file ready
• But

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Errors in data entry

• Tranposition (ex 39 becomes 93)
• Copying errors (0 copy as an o letter)
• Consistency errors two or more responses are
  contradictory (sex man, pregnancyYes)
• Range errors answers outside of probable or
  possible values (ex heigh 3 metres)

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Preventing errors

• Standardised and previously tested questionnaire
• Training the interviewers and data entry clerck
• Checking and validating paper forms of the
  questionnaires
• Checking during the data entry (Check module
  Epi-Data)
• Validation entering twice data by different
  operators
• Checking after data entry (Analysis module
  Epi-Info)

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Checks (I)

• Reduce errors in input
• Checks help with data entry
• Many different types
• Examples
• Limit entry of numbers to specific range
• Forcing entry to be made in field
• Conditional jumps
• Copying the data from the previous record
• Help messages
• Conditional operations (ex if.then operations)

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Checks (II)

• Once Data file is created
• Click Checks button gt choose .REC file

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Checks (III)

• Range, legal
• 1-3, 9
• First range then individual numbers
• Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius
• Fixing only min or max value
• -INF-5 (all numbers inferior or equal 5)
• 0-INF (all positive numbers superior or equal to
  0)
• Jumps
• Field AGEYEARS
• 0gtAGEMONTHS
• 0gtAGEMONTHS, 1gtADDRESS
• 1gtEND
• MustEnter
• Data must be entered in Field

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Checks (IV)

• Repeat
• Show data from previous record
• Value Label
• Add text to explain values
• Click to add label
• Format as shown
• Press F9 during data entryto see labels

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Data Entry (I)

• Click Enter data button gt choose .REC
  file
• Dates
• 15/5/2006 type 150506 or 15/5/06
• Value Labels
• Press F9 to view

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Data Entry (II)

• Record navigation
• Delete records
• Click cross to delete
• Record marked for deletion, but can be recovered

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Document Tools

• File Structure
• Data entry notes ( .NOT file)
• Use to write comments during data entry eg
  difficult to read handwriting etc
• View Data
• List Data
• Codebook
• Basic descriptive statistics on all variables
• Validate duplicate files
• Check consistency after double entry

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Export to other programs

• Click Export data button
• Choose program
• Including Excel, Stata, SPSS
• For Epi-info open .REC file directly

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References

• Lauritsen JM Bruus M. EpiData (version 3.1). A
  comprehensive tool for validated entry and
  documentation of data. The EpiData Association,
  Odense Denmark, 2004.
• Lauritsen JM, Bruus M. EpiTour - An introduction
  to validated dataentry and documentation of data
  by use of EpiData. The EpiData Association,
  Odense Denmark, 2005.

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• www.epidata.dk