Creating New Records

To create question records you must have an instrument and have the permission to work on that instrument. If no instrument has been created, the administrator must create one first. To create a new instrument, use the Setup tab, Instrument List button in Chapter 5. See the explanation in "Creating a New Instrument." To begin creating new records or updating previous record files, you must have completed at least the following functions:

1. Logged on, and
2. Pressed the Accept button;
3. Selected an Instrument and Module from the drop-down menus;
4. Clicked on the Connect button;
5. Clicked on the Design tab in the Main Menu; and
6. Clicked on the Questionnaire button.

After clicking on the questionnaire button the first record in the file will appear. To view the complete record, resize the window. If the file is empty, the new record will be blank.

IMPORTANT: In order to begin editing a new, blank record, press the (new record) button in the navigation bar first. If you do not press the (new record) button, you may type information into the record fields but you will not be able to advance to the next record.

When you click the (new record) button a duplicate record number, e.g., R000001, will appear in the Question and RecPos fields.

1. Re-name the question by typing a question name in the Question field.
2. Make sure the number in the RecPos field is in desired sequence. The Manager will automatically ascertain the highest number used and assign the next number. The number in this field will order the place of the record in the file. The pattern of this number may be changed at any time by choosing the Admin tab, ReDo Sequence button.
3. Select a QType from the drop down () menu.

The display will change according to the question type.

4. Select a Section from the drop-down () menu.
5. Name the next logical question in the by typing a question name in the NextQ field.
6. Fill in the other appropriate blanks in the question record. TIP: to acquire brief information about a field in the question record and to ascertain if it is a required field, immobilize the cursor over the white portion of the field and a small text box will appear with information.
7. When the blanks are filled in, click on the button and repeat steps 1 - 7.

If a required blank is not filled in, the record will not advance to the next new record. The Manager will attempt to place the cursor/or highlight in that field that needs to be filled in.