[DDI-users] A green horn here needs guidance

[Daniel Lee]

All,

I am completely new to the world of the DDI and social science data, but =
I have been actively studying this area for about four months now.  I am =
having trouble putting anything into practice, however, and I was hoping =
someone in this group might provide some guidance.

(That person might even tell me that the DDI isn't the right choice and =
that's ok too.)

Here's my scenario:

I work for a small consulting firm that specializes in public opinion =
polling/market research.  I see the tremendous benefit of the DDI for us =
in terms of organizing/analyzing our data and even helping us to publish =
the frequencies from our surveys in the future.  I am sold on the idea =
that the DDI is good.

Right now I have two collections of files that I would like to =
integrate:

1. RTF docs from the field house that detail the questions asked during =
the survey (exported from Info Zero Un's Interviewer CATI software); and
2. SPSS portable data files of the responses from the surveys.

Since the text of the actual question is limited to 255 characters in =
SPSS, using the data file only isn't an option. We'd like to be able to =
search on the question asked in past surveys to maintain data integrity =
over time.

Can anyone suggest a method for combining these two file types into one =
DDI compliant XML file?

I have been experimenting with the various ways to search, browse, =
display, and print fake DDI compliant data, but I haven't yet been able =
to figure out a way to streamline the integration of these two file =
types.

Any suggestions?

Daniel P. Lee, MLIS
Research Librarian
Navigator Limited
British Colonial Building, Third Floor
8 Wellington Street East
Toronto, ON  M5E 1C5

Direct: (416) 644-7000
Fax: (416) 642-6435

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