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Thread: Using multiple <specify> options within a single item

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    3,328

    Using multiple <specify> options within a single item

    [edited from support email]


    On many of the items, a set of answer options are provided for selection. For the lowest frequency and for the highest frequency options the respondent is asked to specify the frequency, as follows….
    1- Less than once a week <specify>
    2- Once a week
    3- Twice a week
    4- Three times a week
    5- Four or more times a week <specify>
    In our test of the items, I noticed the data in the .csv and .sav files is documented so that the <specify> data is written over the keyed response rather than in as a separate variable. In this way if someone indicated "Less than once a week" the data would not appear as "1" but as whatever text was specified. I don't see this data as a separate variable in the .txt files. I don't see any syntax that addresses it as a separate variable.
    I didn't find anything in the manual that addresses this issue.
    Is it possible that I am overlooking something in the available data files that documents the keyed response separately from the <specify> response? Is there any way to retrieve the original keyed response? Is this problem unremediable in the written data but fixable in programming for future data collection?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    3,328
    You are correct. This is the first time anyone has brought this to our attention. I had never anticipated people offering two or more specify options within the same question. I will add this to our to-deal-with list. In the mean time, are you finding examples where the data become confusing or is it mainly a hassle to have to deal with the coding? I ask because it would have implications for how we fix it. As a short term fix, I could suggest creating a single skipto value for these items rather than using the specify option. If they choose one of these "other" type options then they get a subsequent item which would be a fill in the blank in which they would specify. Would that provide a fix while we figure out how best to deal with this in the future?

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