[DDI-users] Re: Lets make DDI more user-friendly
Fredy Kuhn
ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu
Sat, 19 Apr 2003 19:37:16 +0200
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Hi Jyoti, and all the others,
fully agree with you - researchers should use these standards in a =
self-explanatory way, without nessecity to deal with them on the =
technical level, and in fact, XML is only an exchange standard for =
software ...
We just jumped into the EU funded project 'Metadater', which should have =
as an outcome an application which allows researchers to create/edit DDI =
compatible research descriptions (MD-COLL, our part), which can easily =
be passed to archives (MD-PRO) that follow this standard. Although =
Metadater will deal mainly with the 'most complex surveys' =
(cross-sectional, longitudinal, etc.), it should also handle simple =
research designs.=20
I don't know how you tried to apply the DDI standard, but I found XML =
editors not very useful for authoring needs. You could try the Nesstar =
publisher v2, allowing you to create DDI compliant sheets, from scratch =
or from existing survey data, with or without publishing them to a =
Nesstar server at the end. And without the need to know a lot about =
these standards. (But still to know: it's made for the Nesstar suite. =
See www.nesstar.com )
Hope you will see more soon on www.metadater.org
Regards
Fredy Kuhn
Sidos, Switzerland
www.sidos.ch
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Jyoti Savla=20
To: ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu=20
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2003 6:22 PM
Subject: [DDI-users] Re: Lets make DDI more user-friendly
Dear Richard:
Thanks for responding back. I think training workshops would have =
certainly helped. DDI documentation examples are helpful, but they are =
helpful only after you have discovered the meaning of it yourself. =
Looking at web-sites such as www.cpanda.org is very inspiring too. =
NESSTAR associates like Margaret and other beings on this list-serve did =
a great job helping me out as well. =20
However, being a graduate student I would go around asking advice from =
people, but i doubt if researchers in the field, especially professors =
in a research institute have that kind of time. And then, again how =
many researchers really understand all the web-designing, developing =
languages, such as XML, HTML, XSLT and so on? =20
People want something more easier. It just seems like each time =
someone wants to use DDI, they have to re-invent the wheel. =
Comprehensiveness is one thing, and Being USER-FRIENDLY is another.
I seriously do hope that the people on the DDI committee are looking =
at this e-mail and would consider my critique. I think DDI is doing a =
great job by trying to make documentation styles more universal. =
However, there are a few suggestions that they ought to consider if they =
want to make it available for everyone and reach their goal of =
universality.
1.. Workshops to teach how to use DDI and softwares that work in =
collaboration with them=20
2.. A list-serve is helpful, but a list of people and places that =
already use DDI would be extremely helpful.=20
3.. Step by step guidelines on the web-site that tells a person =
where to start from and how to reach the end-product, more like a =
flow-chart, would certainly be helpful too.
And finally, am i no only one who feels this way?????
Thanks,
Jyoti Savla
Department of Child & Family Development
University of Georgia
--------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 13:56:07 -0400
To: ddi-users@ICPSR.UMICH.EDU
From: "Richard C. Rockwell" <richard@ropercenter.uconn.edu>
Subject: Re: [DDI-users] Lets make DDI more user-friendly
Reply-To: ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu
=
--=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_5113625=
=3D=3D.ALT
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii"; format=3Dflowed
Would training workshops have helped you, Jyoti? How about examples =
of=20
DDI=20
documentation that may be closer to the kinds of data with which you=20
are=20
working?
At 10:42 AM 4/16/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Hello Everyone:
>I am a doctoral student trying really hard to use DDI specifications=20
for a=20
>research project. However, I am jumping all different hoops trying =
to=20
>figure out the HOW TOs and what is the right software to use.
>
>There have been some folks on this listseve who have been extremely=20
>helpful with their suggestions, thanks to them. However, I think =
that=20
if=20
>researchers do not get clear guidelines and instructions (esp. people =
like=20
>me who have no clue about HMT, XML, XSLT and so on) they would not=20
bother=20
>to use the DDI specifications, solely because the "learning curve IS=20
quite=20
>steep".
>
>Trying hard,
>Jyoti Savla
>Department of Child & Family Development
>University of Georgia
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi </FONT><FONT size=3D3>Jyoti, and all the =
others,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>fully agree with you - researchers should use =
these=20
standards in a self-explanatory way, without nessecity to deal with them =
on the=20
technical level, and in fact, XML is only an exchange standard for =
software=20
...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>We just jumped into the EU funded project=20
'Metadater', which should have as an outcome an application =
which=20
allows researchers to create/edit DDI compatible research descriptions =
(MD-COLL,=20
our part), which can easily be passed to archives (MD-PRO) that =
follow this=20
standard. Although Metadater will deal mainly with the =
'most=20
complex surveys' (cross-sectional, longitudinal, etc.), it should =
also=20
handle simple research designs. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I don't know how you tried to apply the DDI =
standard, but=20
I found XML editors not very useful for authoring needs. You =
could try=20
t</FONT><FONT size=3D2>he Nesstar publisher v2, allowing you to create =
DDI=20
compliant sheets, from scratch or from existing survey data, with or =
without=20
publishing them to a Nesstar server at the end. And without =
the need=20
to know a lot about these standards. (But still to know: it's made =
for=20
the Nesstar suite. See <A=20
href=3D"http://www.nesstar.com">www.nesstar.com</A> )</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hope you will see more soon on <A=20
href=3D"http://www.metadater.org">www.metadater.org</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Regards</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Fredy Kuhn</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Sidos, Switzerland</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A =
href=3D"http://www.sidos.ch">www.sidos.ch</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dtinasavla@yahoo.com =
href=3D"mailto:tinasavla@yahoo.com">Jyoti Savla</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu=20
=
href=3D"mailto:ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu">ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, April 19, 2003 =
6:22=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [DDI-users] Re: Lets =
make DDI=20
more user-friendly</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<P>Dear Richard:</P>
<DIV>Thanks for responding back. I think training workshops =
would have=20
certainly helped. DDI documentation examples are helpful, =
but they=20
are helpful only after you have discovered the meaning of it=20
yourself. Looking at web-sites such as <A=20
href=3D"http://www.cpanda.org">www.cpanda.org</A> is very inspiring =
too. =20
NESSTAR associates like Margaret and other beings on this list-serve =
did a=20
great job helping me out as well. </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>However, being a graduate student I would go around asking advice =
from=20
people, but i doubt if researchers in the field, =
especially professors in=20
a research institute have that kind of time. And then, =
again how=20
many researchers really understand all the web-designing, developing=20
languages, such as XML, HTML, XSLT and so on? </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>People want something more easier. It just seems like each =
time=20
someone wants to use DDI, they have to re-invent the wheel. =20
<U>Comprehensiveness is one thing, and Being USER-FRIENDLY is=20
another.</U></DIV>
<DIV><U></U> </DIV>
<DIV>I seriously do hope that the people on the DDI committee are =
looking at=20
this e-mail and would consider my critique. I think DDI is doing =
a great=20
job by trying to make documentation styles more universal. =
However,=20
there are a few suggestions that they ought to consider if they want =
to make=20
it available for everyone and reach their goal of universality.</DIV>
<OL>
<LI>Workshops to teach how to use DDI and softwares that work in=20
collaboration with them=20
<LI>A list-serve is helpful, but a list of people and places that =
already=20
use DDI would be extremely helpful.=20
<LI>Step by step guidelines on the web-site that tells a person =
where to=20
start from and how to reach the end-product, more like a flow-chart, =
would=20
certainly be helpful too.</LI></OL>
<P>And finally, am i no only one who feels this way?????</P>
<P>Thanks,</P>
<P>Jyoti Savla<BR>Department of Child & Family =
Development<BR>University=20
of Georgia</P>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>--------------------------------------------</DIV>
<DIV>Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 13:56:07 -0400<BR>To: <A=20
=
href=3D"http://us.f214.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=3Dddi-users@ICPSR.UMI=
CH.EDU&YY=3D53880&order=3Ddown&sort=3Ddate&pos=3D0&vi=
ew=3Da&head=3Db"><FONT=20
color=3D#003399>ddi-users@ICPSR.UMICH.EDU</FONT></A><BR>From: "Richard =
C.=20
Rockwell" <<A=20
=
href=3D"http://us.f214.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=3Drichard@ropercenter=
.uconn.edu&YY=3D53880&order=3Ddown&sort=3Ddate&pos=3D0&am=
p;view=3Da&head=3Db"><FONT=20
=
color=3D#003399>richard@ropercenter.uconn.edu</FONT></A>><BR>Subject: =
Re:=20
[DDI-users] Lets make DDI more user-friendly<BR>Reply-To: <A=20
=
href=3D"http://us.f214.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=3Dddi-users@icpsr.umi=
ch.edu&YY=3D53880&order=3Ddown&sort=3Ddate&pos=3D0&vi=
ew=3Da&head=3Db"><FONT=20
=
color=3D#003399>ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu</FONT></A><BR><BR>--=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_5113625=3D=3D.ALT<BR>=
Content-Type:=20
text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii"; format=3Dflowed<BR><BR>Would =
training workshops=20
have helped you, Jyoti? How about examples of <BR>DDI =
<BR>documentation=20
that may be closer to the kinds of data with which you <BR>are=20
<BR>working?<BR><BR>At 10:42 AM 4/16/2003 -0700, you =
wrote:<BR>>Hello=20
Everyone:<BR>>I am a doctoral student trying really hard to use DDI =
specifications <BR>for a <BR>>research project. However, I am =
jumping=20
all different hoops trying to <BR>>figure out the HOW TOs and what =
is the=20
right software to use.<BR>><BR>>There have been some folks on =
this=20
listseve who have been extremely <BR>>helpful with their =
suggestions,=20
thanks to them. However, I think that <BR>if <BR>>researchers =
do not=20
get clear guidelines and instructions (esp. people <BR>like <BR>>me =
who=20
have no clue about HMT, XML, XSLT and so on) they would not <BR>bother =
<BR>>to use the DDI specifications, solely because the "learning =
curve IS=20
<BR>quite <BR>>steep".<BR>><BR>>Trying hard,<BR>>Jyoti=20
Savla<BR>>Department of Child & Family =
Development<BR>>University of=20
Georgia</DIV>
<P><BR>
<HR SIZE=3D1>
Do you Yahoo!?<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/search/mailsig/*http://search.yahoo.com">T=
he New=20
Yahoo! Search</A> - Faster. Easier. Bingo.</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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