There are six Record Types used by the Manager program and recognized by the Survey program. A record type is a database table that consists of a set of records belonging to a standard format. Five of the six record formats are fairly simple in design. One format, the Question record, is a complex record type that controls the flow of the interview and contains links to all the other record types. Extensive information about the question record can be found in this chapter, in the section entitled "The Question Record." More detail about the question types (QTypes) can be found in the section entitled "Question Types."

The six Record Types listed below are discussed in this section. Click on a type to jump to its explanation.

• Alternate Language Record
• Continuous Codes Record
• Pick List Record
• Help Record
• Question Record
• Roster Editor Record

When the Alternate Language button under the Design tab is pressed, the Alternate Language design/edit window should appear. If a message appears to the effect 'that the Microsoft Jet Database engine could not find the input table or query 'AltLanguage'…', then one or more Alternate Languages have not been defined for the instrument or module. To define them, use the Setup tab, Alternate Language button to bring up the Alternate Language List window.

If the Alternate Language file does not exist, it can be created from the "Alternate Language List' window.

1. First, specify the Instrument from the drop-down menu.
2. Then, choose either the Module by Language tab or the Language by Module tab. In the accompanying figure the next selection is to specify the Language, then the Module. (The other way would be to specify the Module first, then the Language.)
3. Next, specify the complete path and name of the Alternate Language File.
4. Finally, press the Create Database button.

If the Alternate Language File exists and has already been specified under the Setup tab, then, when the Alternate Language button under the Design tab is pressed, a window similar to the figure below will appear.

If the Alternate Language file is empty, a blank record will appear in the top half of the window. If it is not empty, the first record in the Alternate Language file in the top of the window along with the first record in the principal language in the bottom half of the window. If a record is not one that can be edited, i.e., it is a machine-operation question, contains no vernacular text, and is not seen by the interviewer, it will appear in 'grayed-out' text. The language of these questions is not translated, as they are only instructions to the computer.

If the Alternate Language file is empty, the records corresponding to the principal question file need to be created. They may be created one at a time or all at once.

To copy individual record’s text one at a time, press,

Then edit it or navigate to the next record with the 4 button.

To create them all at once, press

then, press

To edit a record in the file, position the cursor in the upper box and overwrite the text or cut and paste and type.

The Sync button synchronizes the order of the records in the two files and creates a blank record in the Alternate Language file if a record there does not correspond with the principal one. The Clean Text button removes extra spaces in the alternate language text, its substitutions, and line breaks so that the text wraps normally in the window.

Only the text field of the alternate language record needs to be edited. It is the only part of the question that appears in the alternate language during the interviews. Machine check questions do not need to be translated neither does the logic of the instrument. Pick lists (Pick List record type) that appear on screen need to be translated, too. Audio files and Help Records in the alternate language, if applicable, may also need to be linked to the Alternate Language question record.

When the Continuous Codes button is pressed the Continuous Code file will open and a blank record form will appear, if the file is empty. If there are records in the file the first record in the file will appear. The Continuous Code file consists of records, each of which has a unique name in the CCode field. Continuous code records are used to specify the ranges for responses on a continuum such as salary, earning, income, pay, etc. and are usually coded after data collection.

Each record contains three fields. Two of the fields are ranges--a LowVal (low value) and HighVal (high value) range. The third field is a "textual" description of that range.

These records are not seen by the interviewer but they are linked to an Numeric Entry or Text Entry question record by the designer so that the data collected falls within an assigned range.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired field.
1. Type in the information.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired location in the field.
1. Edit the changes by typing, deleting, pasting, etc.

When the Pick Lists button is pressed the distribution code file will open and a blank record form will appear, if the file is empty. If there are records in the file the first record in the file will appear. These pick lists are used with the Select Option question type from which the respondent may pick one or more options.

The Distribution Code file consists of records, each of which has a unique name in the Pick List field, an Explanation, and Header text to help document the contents of the list. Each record is a separate pick list that consists of four fields:

1. a Value that is ascribed to an item in the list;
2. a Description (the text that appears in the question);
3. a sequence (Seq) that orders the textual display in the question; and
4. an AudioFile name, if specified, that is the name of a *wav file that provides the sound in a self-administered instrument.

If the 'Other Specify' check box is checked, the final choice in the pick is will be "Other Specify." If the 'Other Specify' option is chosen from the pick list during the interview, the computer will prompt the interviewer to ask the respondent to 'specify' a response that the interviewer will record verbatim.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired field.
2. Type in the information.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired location in the field.
2. Edit the changes by typing, deleting, pasting, etc.

When the Help Screens button is pressed, a blank Help record form will appear, if the file is empty or new. If the file already exists, the first record in the file will appear. This record is used to provide context-sensitive help to the interviewer on-line when the interviewer presses the <F1> key.

The Help Screens file consists of records, each of which has a name in the HelpName field and a Header to identify the record. The name in the HelpName field is placed in the Help field of the question record to link this record to the question record.

The discretion of what is contained in the help record is left up to the designer as is the use of the Prev, Next, and Related Screens fields.

Each record has five fields.

When the Edit Questionnaire button is pressed the Question record file will open and a blank record form will appear, if the file is empty. If there are records in the file, the first record in the file will appear. Each record in the question file belongs to one of 14 question types (QType), has links to at least one other question record, and yet is a unique record that may draw together information from other records and other record types. The question record drives the flow of the questionnaire. Each question record contains the information necessary to instruct the Survey program on how to "read" the question record, how to display it, how to gather information from the other record types, and what to do next. The information in a question record is an aggregate of data supplied in the question record’s fields. For a complete reference of question fields, see "Question Fields." For a complete reference of question types, see "Question Types."

A new question record would look like the one shown in the "New Question Record Form" window. Depending on the QType selected, the relevant fields will appear and the irrelevant disappear. The five most important fields in a question record are:

1. The Question name because it uniquely identifies the record;
2. The QType field (question type) because it defines one of the fourteen roles a question record performs in the Survey;
3. The RecPos (record position) because it fixes the sequential position of the question record in the question file; and
4. The Text field because it achieves the purpose of the question record in the Survey.
5. The Section field because it is mandatory and groups all questions into specific sections.

Depending on the question type (Type field), the Text field of the question may contain a variety of items from text, to computer commands that carry out specific functions.

During the interview, some "questions" are displayed on the computer screen to the interviewer only. Some are asked of the respondent. Some never come to the attention of the interviewer or the respondent. But all question records control the flow of the interview and responses to most them may become part of the answer file. The question and its response form a unit, a meta-datum, that documents itself.

When the Rosters button is pressed, a blank Roster record form will appear, if the file is empty. If the file already exists, the first record in the file will appear. Each roster record has a unique name in the Roster field, a descriptive Header like a title, and Explain field for a textual explanation of what the roster does, and a File name (*.tmp) that contains the specific case information in each roster.

Additional parts to the Roster Editor's record are four tabs that contain aggregate information on the roster.

These roster characteristics identify the physical structure of a roster by field name and describe each field in terms of size, data type, show (screen display), position, width, and header label. These characteristics tell the Survey program how to display that roster on the screen.

To designate a field for display on screen, place a check mark in the Show field, by slowing clicking twice in that column.

New fields and their definitions may be added to the roster, or characteristics of existing fields edited.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired field.
2. Type in the information.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired location in the field.
2. Edit the changes by typing, deleting, pasting, etc.

Fields of the roster may be designated for documentation. When this is the case the contents of the fields will be made available by means of several data retrieval programs. VarName is used in SPSS generation programs. Data retrieval software developed by CHRR uses KWIC Titles and Var Labels. The retrieval programs, available in both DOS and Windows, are CHRRDBA and the NLS Investigator, respectively.

To designate a field for documentation, place a check mark in the Doc field, by slowing clicking twice in that column. Then supply the label in the appropriate field.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired field.
2. Type in the information.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired location in the field.
2. Edit the changes by typing, deleting, pasting, etc.

Fields of the roster may be designated as information sheet items. When this is the case the contents of the fields will be made available in subsequent rounds of the survey and read into the new cases.

To designate a field as an information sheet item, place a check mark in the Info field, by slowing clicking twice in that column. Then supply the item name that it will have in the information sheet.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired field.
2. Type in the information.

1. Move the insertion point to the desired location in the field.
2. Edit the changes by typing, deleting, pasting, etc.

Use the drop-down menu to view and designate the Instruments that will use this roster.

• Open the drop-down () menu in the * field; and
• Highlight an instrument name in the drop-down menu.