Guidelines for Coding and Data Entry

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/341/f95/s4-guide.html

CLASS SURVEY PROJECT

Guidelines for Coding and Data Entry

Task The information from the questionnaires is to be entered into the computer using SPSS-for-Wondows and subsequently stored on a floppy disk as an SPSS "system file." The file should be named LASTNAME.SAV (where 'lastname' is replaced by the (first eight letters of the) last name of the student doing the data entry, e.g., kuechler.sav. The following instructions use the questionnaire from the spring semester 1995 as an example. If you are entering data from a different questionnaire, some of the instructions below need to be modified. Selecting information from questionnaire or: WHAT TO ENTER. 1. The information from the questionnaire will be entered into a data matrix (spreadsheet). A spreadsheet is a rectangular form: each row represents one questionnaire (respondent), each column contains a particular piece of information (response to a given question) from this questionnaire. Each column has a heading (name) referring to this particular piece of information. The names can be found on the questionnaire form: the acronyms in [ ], e.g., [Q2], [INT], etc. 2. For most questions exactly one response category should be marked (circled) in the questionnaire. For these, the circled number must entered in the corresponding field. Example: If '2' is circled as the response for question 2, then '2' must be entered in the column named 'Q2'. If more than one response is marked, enter '8'; if no response is marked, leave cell as is (that is, with just a dot). 3. For the interviewer name use the numerical code from the attached code listing. 4. Do not enter the response to question B; it should be "1" or "yes" for all completed questionnaires. 5. Ignore all comments the interviewer may have written on the questionnaire. Also, do not enter any verbatim response to question 22, but enter the number the interviewer has circled in the block below. If missing, try to find an appropriate code based on the verbatim response yourself. -- In contrast, you must enter the handwritten responses (numbers) to questions 19 (year of birth) and 20 (zip code). 6. Enter your own identification number (from the ID listing below) in a last column/field of the data matrix (that should be named 'coder') for each record/line. Instructions for computer use or: HOW TO ENTER These instructions apply to using SPSS-for-Windows as installed in the social sciences lab (HW 606) and in most of the ACS labs (in Hunter North, 10th floor). 1. After the machine is turned on ("booted"), a menu will appear on your screen. The menu is slightly different in the different labs. In the ACS labs (HN) you find SPSS-for-Windows under 'departmental software', 'sociology'. In HW606, select 'applications', 'statistics'. Eventually, you will come to a submenu that lists "SPSS-for-Windows". Highlight this entry and press the ENTER key (or click the left mouse button). It will take a while (several minutes) for the program to load. Wait patiently until you see an empty data matrix. 2. Open the EDIT menu, select PREFERENCES, then change the number of decimals in the 'new variables box' to '0'. Click OKAY and return to the empty data matrix. Then enter the names of all variables as they appear on the questionnaire form -- one by one. To do this, click on the top (grey) line of

1 of 4

9/13/2010 3:00 PM

Guidelines for Coding and Data Entry

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/341/f95/s4-guide.html

an empty column, open the DATA menu, select DEFINE VARIABLE, and enter the variable name in the box so labeled. Click OKAY or press the ENTER key; the name will appear in the top line of the data matrix (may take a moment). Repeat, repeat till all names are entered. Make sure that you do not type a space/blank after the variable name; this will result in an error message. 3. Now take the first questionnaire, click on the cell in the upper left corner (it gets a thicker line frame) and type the first piece of information (number). What you type appears on a separate line on top of the data matrix window.Once you press ENTER or -- more efficient -- the RIGHT ARROW key, what you have typed moves into the cell with the frame (and all other cells in this row get a dot [.]) . Done! If you use the RIGHT ARROW key, the next cell to the right automatically gets the thicker line frame (becomes the target of what you enter next); if you use ENTER, the cell below gets selected and you need to reposition before you can enter the appropriate number for the second column (named 'NO') overwriting the dot. Etc., etc. .... 4. If you detect an error, you can always go back to a cell and reenter the information. 5. When you are finished with one questionnaire (number in last field -- 'coder' -- entered), click on the leftmost cell in the next row for the next questionnaire and repeat. 6. When all questionnaires are processed, open the FILE menu and select SAVE AS. Note, that at this point you must have inserted a (formatted) diskette into the a: drive. You can do it earlier, but not before the machine has booted (the main menu has appeared on the screen). In the SAVE AS window change the drive to a:, then type in the appropriate file name yourname.sav where 'yourname' are the first eight (or all) characters of your last name and press ENTER. Now, your work will be saved on your diskette. -- If you are paranoid about losing your work or if you can not do all data entry in one session, save the file whenever you wish. If you want to continue at a later point, start SPSS-for-Windows as before (wait for the empty data matrix), then open the FILE menu, select OPEN, select DATA (shortcut: just click on the leftmost icon -- the opening folder). Change drive to a: and select lastname.sav. This way, you can restart exactly where you left before. 7. Once you are done (for now or for good), open the FILE menu, select EXIT and follow the instructions to properly exit the program. Don't forget to remove your diskette from the disk drive. Interviewer/Coder ID numbers Again, this is a sample list based on the spring 95 class. ID # Name of student (=interviewer, =coder) 1 Baron Julie 2 Benetos Katie 3 Blake Angelene 4 Brennan Erin 5 Casey Allison 6 Cassidy Laura 7 Chery Sabine 8 Curneen Michael

2 of 4

9/13/2010 3:00 PM

Guidelines for Coding and Data Entry

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/341/f95/s4-guide.html

9 David Virgen 10 Douglas Roland 11 Flanigan Daniel 12 Hernandez Sammy 13 James Ladon 14 Levine Joanna 15 Lora Martha 16 Luna Stacy Joy 17 Manalang Elizabeth 18 Martin Melva 19 Massiah Carlotta 20 Muckle Tysheima 21 Nitta Akiko 22 Noone Michael 23 Rindahl Gina 24 Rodriguez Tinnyn 25 Samba Karen 26 Villacis Maritza 27 Welch Jenelle 28 Young Anina 51 Anderson Terri 52 Barnes Rohnda 53 Bellusci Sylvia 54 Betts Christi 55 Bonilla Chastidy 56 Cannon Kathleen 57 Celestine Natasha 58 Cortes Lilliana 59 Courtney Dawne 60 Diaz Judy
3 of 4

9/13/2010 3:00 PM

Guidelines for Coding and Data Entry

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/341/f95/s4-guide.html

61 Greene Jennifer 62 Hernandez Yanette 63 Iwelumo Celina 64 Lavie Ram 65 Lohrmann Jessica 66 Ly-Ung Sandra 67 Mesorana Lizette 68 Monforte Sandra 69 Ogbonna Rose 70 Ortiz Michelle 71 Ozoria Agustina 72 Pang Toman 73 Pollock Denise 74 Roig Carlos 75 Rose Annmarie 76 Sabella Lilia 77 Salandy Joan 78 Samuels Yann 79 Sanchez Euripides 80 Santana Elizabeth 81 Shelton Rosa 82 Smith Lorene 83 Sodomsky Lynda 84 Warwick Catherine 85 Wong Nancy

4 of 4

9/13/2010 3:00 PM