[DDI-SRG] Mixing code and value ranges

[Pascal Heus]

Wendy:
Thanks for the feedback. The problem is this doesn't work when you have 
a numeric value that is a range (and not a coded list). The example of 
"Number of cars you owned (99=don't know)" is not associate with a 
code/category. 1,2,3,4,5,6,55 are all valid answers and I do not need to 
create a code list (it is a numeric variable). Also, 99 is not 
particularly a missing value. I could have other codes. What about "How 
much money did you earn last year (-1 or 9999999999 for do not want to 
disclose)? I know it's a bad way to code this but you see this a lot in 
survey questions. I think we're being a bit too restrictive here. We 
should be able to have both Code and Numeric/Text representation. In 
this case, if it's not in the code list it is still. a valid response.
*P

Wendy Thomas wrote:
> Ok...right now you would list the valid range and list 99 in the 
> attribute missingValue. We have on our list (from my memory..should 
> check) a review of how we identify missing values in a consistant way 
> for all representations. This should include the ability to reference 
> a codescheme. By doing this we can differentiate between the valid set 
> of non-missing data responses and missing data responses for each 
> variable. It would also make it easier to reuse code schemes between 
> questions and variables as the missing value codes could be declared 
> in the variable representation rather than being affixed to each code 
> scheme (render a new set of codes schemes that include the question 
> codescheme plus the missing value codescheme.
>
> Anyway...thats where we are. The reason for NOT making the 
> representation repeatable is to prevent abuse. People want to put in 
> both a codescheme representation AND a numeric representation. The 
> comment was "how else will I know what the valid response numbers 
> are?" the answer was if its not in the code scheme its not valid.
>
> Ideally I think the representation description should list the valid 
> data values and the valid missing values should be in missingData.
>
> Wendy
>
>
> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008, Pascal Heus wrote:
>
>> Wendy and all:
>> In DDI, how do we document a variable that mixes value ranges and
>> code(s)? With ValueRepresentation no longer non-repeatable, this now
>> seem tricky....
>> For example, I can have a numeric variable like "Number of cars owned"
>> with 99="don't know". I can I say this must be in the 0-99 range and
>> link the value 99 to a code?
>> I'm wondering if ValueRepresentation and CodeRepresentation should be
>> separated or have the ability to have a CodeRepresentation and
>> Date/Numeric/TextRepresentation at the same time.
>> thanks
>> *P
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>
> 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
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