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

[Klaus Pforr]

Dear Wendy,

Thank you for reminding me of the very helpful overall tree organization 
rule (most stable topmost, least stable to the bottom).

You guessed pretty much right. Although we have mostly constant modules 
across waves, especially in the first 3-4 waves we have new modules and 
item changes. These changes cause the most amount of work.

Your suggested structure seems to be a good starting point.

Klaus

Wendy Thomas schrieb:
> 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
>> Universit�t Mannheim
>> D - 68131 Mannheim
>> Tel:  +49-621-181 2801 (nachmittags)
>> fax:  +49-621-181 2803
>> URL:  http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de
>>
>> Besucheranschrift: A5, Raum A312
>> __________________________________
>> _______________________________________________
>> DDI-users mailing list
>> DDI-users at icpsr.umich.edu
>> http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/mailman/listinfo/ddi-users
>>
> 
> 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
> 
> 
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-- 
__________________________________

Klaus Pforr
MZES AB - A
Universität Mannheim
D - 68131 Mannheim
Tel:  +49-621-181 2801 (nachmittags)
fax:  +49-621-181 2803
URL:  http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de

Besucheranschrift: A5, Raum A312
__________________________________