Using EpiData and SPSS Shahzad Asghar Arain Shahzad.cdcu@gmail.com Cell 92 312 514 9114 http://shahzadasghar.

info

References
Public domain (pdf) book on data management: Bennett, et al. (2001). Data Management for Surveys and Trials. A Practical Primer Using EpiData. The EpiData Documentation Project. : http://www.epidata.dk/downloads/dmepidata.pdf
EpiData Association Website: http://www.epidata.dk/

Importing raw data into SPSS: http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/modules/input.ht m

Data Management
Planning data needs

Data collection
Data entry and control Validation and checking

Data cleaning and variable transformation

Data backup and storage System documentation Other

Types of Data Base Management Systems (DBMSs)

Spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, SPSS Data Editor)
Lack data controls, limited programmability Suitable only for small and didactic projects Also good for last step data cleaning

Prone to error, data corruption, & mismanagement

Commercial DBMS programs (e.g., MySQL,Oracle, Access)

Limited data control, good programmability Slow & expensive Powerful and widely available

Public domain programs (e.g., EpiData, Epi Info)

Controlled data entry, good programmability Suitable for research and field use

We will use two platforms:

EpiData controlled data entry data documentation export (write) data SPSS import (read) data analysis reporting

What is EpiData ?

EpiData is computer program (small in size 1.2Mb) for

simple or programmed data entry and data documentation It is highly reliable It runs on Windows computers
Runs on Macs and Linus with emulator software (only)

Interface
pull down menus work bar

History of EpiInfo & EpiData

19761995: EpiInfo (DOS program) created by CDC (in

wake of swine flu epidemic)

Small, fast, reliable, 100,000+ users worldwide

19952000: DOS dies slow painful death

2000: CDC releases EpiInfo2000

Based on Microsoft Jet (Access) data engine Large, slow, unreliable (resembled EpiInfo in name only)

2001: Loyal EpiInfo user group decides it needs real

EpiInfo for Windows

Creates open source public domain program Calls program EpiData

Goal: Create & Maintain Error-Free Datasets

Two types of data errors
Measurement error (i.e., information bias)

discussed last couple of weeks Processing errors = errors that occur during data handling discussed this week

Examples of data processing errors

Transpositions (91 instead of 19)

Copying errors (O instead of 0)

Additional processing errors described on p. 18.2

Avoiding checks (e.g., handwriting legibility) Data Processing Errors Manual

Range and consistency checks* (e.g., do not allow hysterectomy dates for men) Double entry and validation*
Operator 1 enters data Operator 2 enters data in separate file Check files for inconsistencies

Screening during analysis (e.g., look for

outliers)
* covered in lab

Controlled Data Entry

Criteria for accepting & rejecting data Types of data controls
Range checks (e.g., restrict AGE to reasonable range) Value labels (e.g., SEX:
1 = male, 2 = female)

Jumps (e.g., if male, jump to Q8)

Consistency checks (e.g., if sex = male, do not allow

hysterectomy = yes) Must enters etc.

Data Processing Steps

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

File naming conventions Variables types and names QES (questionnaire) development Convert .QES file to .REC (record) file Add .CHK file Enter data in REC file Validate data (double entry procedure) Documentation data (code book) Export data to SPSS Import data into SPSS

Filenaming and File Management

Some systems are case sensitive (Unix)
Others are not (Windows)

c:\path\filename.ext A web address is a good example of a filename, e.g.,

http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/gerstman/StatPrimer/data.ppt

Always be aware of
Physical location (local, removable, network)
Path (folders and subfolders)

Filename (proper) Extension

Demo Windows Network Explorer: right-click Start Bar >

Explore

File extensions you should know

Extension .qes .rec .chk .not .sav .sps Software program EpiInfo/EpiData questionnaire EpiInfo/EpiData records (data) EpiInfo/EpiData check (controls & labels) EpiData notes (data documentation) SPSS permanent data file SPSS syntax file (program)

.txt
.htm .doc .xls

Generic (flat) text data

Web Browser Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel

Selected EpiData Variable Types

Variable Type Text Numeric Date Auto ID Sondex (sanitized) Examples _ <A > # ##.# <mm/dd/yyyy> <dd/mm/yyyy> <IDNUM> <S >

EpiData Variable Names

Variable name based on text that occurs before variable type indicator code EpiData variable naming default vary depending on installation

Create variable names exactly as specified

To be safe, denote variable names in {curly brackets}

For example, to create a two byte numeric

variable called age, use the question:

What is your {age}? ##

Demo / Work Along

Create QES file [demo.qes] Convert QES to REC [demo.rec] Create CHK file [demo.chk] Create double entry file [demo2.rec] Enter data Validate data

Fname John George

Lname Snow Orwell

DOB 3/15/1813 6/25/1903

SEX 1 1

DEATHAGE 45 46

Codebooks
Contain info that helps users decipher data file content and structure
Includes:
Filename(s) File location(s) Variable names Coding schemes Units Anything else you think might be useful

EpiData codebook generators

File Structure Codebook

Full codebook contains descriptive statistics (demo)

Full Codebook

Notice descriptive statistics

Conversion of Data File

Requires common intermediate file format Examples of common intermediate files
.TXT = plain text .DBF = dBase program

.XLS = Excel

Steps
Export .REC file .TXT file Import .TXT file into SPSS Save permanent SAV file

Current Export Formats Supported by EpiData

Plain (raw) TXT data

plain ASCII data format
no column demarcations no variable names no labels

TXT file with codebook

tox-samp.txt

tox-samp.not

SPSS Data Export / Import

(raw data)

TXT

REC

SAV

SPS

(syntax)

Top of tox-samp.sps
Lines beginning with * are comments (ignored by command interpreter)

Next set of commands show file location and structure via SPSS command syntax

Bottom part of tox-samp.sps file

Labels being imported into SPSS

Delete * if you want this command to run

Opening the SPS (command) file

Running the SPS file

Ethics of Data Keeping

Confidentiality (sanitized files free of identifiers)
Beneficence Equipoise Informed consent (To what extent?) Oversight (IRB)