[DDI-users] Where do i start

[Elizabeth Bennett]

Dear Tina,

Here's what I did to learn to apply the DDI markup, over the last
year-and-a-half:

1.  Study the examples on the DDI web site. They are very helpful, and
it's really worth spending some time with them.
2.  Look at the existing codebooks for the data you'll be marking up, if
you have them. Otherwise, final reports or publications based on the
data will often contain the information you need. I find it helpful to
highlight important information as I find it.
3.  Go through the DDI tag library in detail. Decide which tags you need
for your data. Some tags will contain fixed data (e.g. "Copyright
University of Georgia"). Some will be required -- you always want
something in that field. And some will be optional -- you might or might
not want to record something. Think about what makes sense for you and
your users. The DDI markup is very complex and sophisticated, but you
don't have to use every single tag on every data set.
4.  Make a template, cross-referenced to the tag list, for your project.
(I would be happy to share my template, off the list, as an example.) 
5.  Mark up some codebooks. Think about it. Change your mind (several
times) about how to handle ambiguous situations. 
6.  Run whatever tool you plan to use to transform the XML into
something readable. This will inevitably reveal things you will need to
change in the XML. 
7.  Post questions to this list. It's a small community, and I've found
people to be very helpful.

I also hoped for step-by-step instructions, with lots of examples, when
I started. I think it would help all of us if there were more examples
from different sources, possibly with some annotations, on the DDI web
site -- but you too will figure it out.

Good luck --

Elizabeth Bennett
Project Manager/Associate Director
Cultural Policy and the Arts National Data Archive
www.cpanda.org (going live on Wednesday, April 2)


Jyoti Savla wrote:
> 
> Dear members:
> 
> I am in the process of getting the codebook together for a project I
> am working on using DDI.  However, I do not know where to start from.
> The DDI website has tons of information, however, I am looking for
> step-to-step guidance, examples of codebooks done by other members of
> the list, etc.  I would greatly appreciate suggestions from anyone who
> has gone through a similar dilemma.
> 
> Much thanks,
> 
> Tina Savla
> Department of Child & Family Development
> University of Georgia.
> 
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