[DDI-users] Follow up on representing modules

[Dan Smith]

Hi Bart,

Yes, using the Description on Sequence should be spec compliant, but
remember it will be present in version 3.1 which should be released soon.

Let me break your other question into two parts,
1. How to include a group of questions as a group into an instrument
like a module or subinstrument:

You can think of the module of questions in your software as a Sequence
also. Adding a reference to a SequenceType will then include all the
QuestionConstructs/QuestionItems inside of it into your Instrument, and
can be reused multiple times in an Instrument or in other Instruments.
It can also include any skip pattern logic or loops that may be needed.

2. How to group questions into logical groups outside of the instrument
flow.
You can use the QuestionScheme to create logical groupings of questions
independent of the logical flow in the Instrument. These can also have
names and descriptions so you can document how the QuestionItems relate
to each other.

Hope this helps, Cheers!
Dan

Bart Orriens wrote:
> 
> Hi Dan,
> 
> first of all thanks for your response!
> 
> leaving this part out makes sense, and I'll follow with interest any
> developments in that area. For now I will take your advice. Regarding
> that, if i understood you correctly I can do something like this for
> my questions that appear on the same screen:
> 
> <sequence id=myid>
> <r:Description> my explanation here </r:Description>
> .... (my question constructs here referencing the different
> questions/other complex control constructs)
> </sequence>
> 
> Is this what you meant? (just to ensure that I stay spec compliant)
> 
> For the module representation (which is for grouping a set of related
> questions independent of how they will appear eventually in the survey),
> would my previous idea work for that, being:
> 
> <QuestionItem>
>  <SubQuestions>
>     <QuestionReference>...</QuestionReference>
>  </SubQuestions>
> </QuestionItem>
> 
> That would allow me to reuse question item definitions across groups
> of questions; and also to then refer to modules as questions
> (which is possible in our survey software, so we can easily
> include groups of questions by referring to them by the name
> of the module). Or is this type of reuse through referencing from
> question item definitions not allowed (yet)?
> 
> Thanks for any further ideas you might have,
> Bart
> 
> 
>     Hi Bart,
> 
>     The instrument documentation group for DDI 3 thought about presentation
>     and put it out of scope for the current version (3.0) for a couple of
>     reasons. First, it was very system specific, and second it is something
>     that could be added on top of the current basic routing information in a
>     subsequent version.
> 
>     However, there are still several ways to document groups of questions or
>     "screens" using the current version and the forthcoming DDI v3.1.
> 
>     In DDI 3.1, grouping questions can be accomplished by placing them all
>     into a sequence and using the "Type" element on sequence to specify user
>     defined type grouping. Also in 3.1 there will be a r:Description field
>     of type StructuredStringType that can be used to describe the groupings.
> 
>     For example, sub instruments in our software are defined using a
>     "Colectica:SubInstrument" Type and a r:Description saying they are part
>     of a unique sub instrument set.
> 
>     For your use case, you could create a sequence and document that all of
>     the questions are asked at the same time, on the same screen, or on the
>     same piece of paper using a Sequence and the r:Description and Type
>     elements.
> 
>     Hope this helps, cheers!
>     Dan
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Dan Smith
+1 608-213-2867
Algenta Technologies, LLC
http://www.algenta.com