[DDI-users] Using Groups to manage frequent questionnaire versions

[Wendy Thomas]

Dear Klaus,

This came up frequently in a recent Expert Workshop at Dagstuhl and will 
be the subject of 2-3 of the Use Cases arising out of it. Basically there 
are a number of approaches to grouping in terms of how to determine what 
the primary tree structure will be. From the discussions at Dagstuhl there 
are a few primary considerations:

1) What is the most stable information? Least stable information?
You will want those parts that remain the most stable near the top of the 
tree and the least stable near the bottom. For example, in the integrated 
ISSP example we had, the content of the modules (topical 
questions/variables) were the primary grouping (first level of subgroups) 
because this was the most stable content and primary approach for the 
researchers who would be served. The next level was Country (geography), 
then time (least stable).

2) What is the primary approach to the data? In the above example it was 
topical module. However, in another example using the ISSP, the concern 
was to manage the production process within a single country so that the 
focus was on time rather than topic. Both approaches work, but each 
facilitates a different usage.

3) In the case you mention below, if I am understanding it, you want to 
capture the development process of a questionnaire as well as the final 
questionnaire used in data collection. You could capture the development 
process (change in content) either by grouping as you noted or by 
versioning the content of your question schemes and control contstruct 
schemes.

I think it would help to see an example of what you are trying to capture. 
I think you are saying you have the following situation, but I'm not 
clear.

Wave I: Start with Original content
          Versioning during design process resulting in Wave I: content X

Wave II: Start with Wave I: content X content
          Versioning during design process resulting in Wave II: content Y

Wave III: Start with Wave II: content Y content
          Versioning during design process resulting in Wave III: content Z

Etc.

Is this correct? Do waves have different content (other than revisions due 
to development) such as topical changes?

As an aside, please note that there is additional structure being 
developed to capture the questionnaire development process which you 
probably want to follow.

Wendy


On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Klaus Pforr wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm beginning to plan to document a complex panel study
> (http://www.pairfam.uni-bremen.de/index.php?id=2&L=1) with DDI and have
> a question about how to use groups. It is certainly reasonable to
> organize the different waves as children of one higher level group,
> where the changes in each wave are overriders of a default version.
>
> In our project we have the problem of organizing many versions in the
> questionnaire design process of each wave. Is it reasonable to organize
> these versions also with groups?
> I think about placing the things that are generally agreed on as group
> level info and the version changes at the child-level.
>
> Best regards
>
> Klaus Pforr
> -- 
> __________________________________
>
> Klaus Pforr
> MZES AB - A
> Universität Mannheim
> D - 68131 Mannheim
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> fax:  +49-621-181 2803
> URL:  http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de
>
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Wendy L. Thomas                          Phone: +1 612.624.4389
Data Access Core Director		 Fax:   +1 612.626.8375
Minnesota Population Center              Email: wlt at pop.umn.edu
University of Minnesota
50 Willey Hall
225 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455