question.csv

List of columns

(1) Identifier: The first four columns identify are question. Please note that a question can consist of multiple items. In this case the first item is considered to be the root element and the item is either empty or “root”.

study

Name of the study (primary key).

questionnaire

Name of the questionnaire (primary key).

question

Name of the question (primary key).

item

Number of the question item (primary key). If the item is empty, the question is considered to be a “root question”, which might have items.

(2) Content: The following columns represent the content of a question or item

number

Question number (integer), as a reference to the position in the questionnaire.

text

Question text.

instruction

Interviewer instruction.

answer_list

Name of the list of answers (foreign key). The answers.csv.

scale

Scale (see list of scales below) of the answers.

filter

Incoming filters (see definition below).

goto

Outgoing filters (see definition below).

label

Label (DEPRECATED).

description

Human readable description including additional unstructured information.

concept

Name of question’s concept (foreign key). In DDI on Rails the primary link from a question to one or multiple concepts is through the question’s logical variables. Nevertheless, it is possible to link a question or an item directly to a concept.

(3) Links to logical variables and concepts (import only): A question can be linked to multiple logical variables. Therefore, DDI on Rails stores this link with the logical variables. Yet, the questions import allows to link every question to one logical variable.

logical_dataset

Logical dataset name (foreign key).

logical_variable

Logical variable name (foreign key).

(4) Export only: There is a couple of columns that is included in the export but will not be imported.

view_sort_id

Sort order of the questions. The view_sort_id is generated from the order of the questions in the import file.

view_lft

and view_rgt Export only.

view_import_note

Export only (DEPRECATED).

view_first_concept

Concept of the question, based on the first related variable.

view_import_typ

Export only (DEPRECATED).

view_calculated_number`` and view_calculated_item

Special information for imports following the SOEP-QLIB-conventions.

logical_variable

Name of the resulting variable (foreign key, import only).

logical_dataset

Name of the dataset of the resulting variable (foreign key, import only).

(5) Namespaces (neither imported nor exported): Every study can add an arbitrary number of columns to store additional information that are not intended to be imported in DDI on Rails. Those columns are prefixed with internal_

Scales

txt

Only display the text, no variables are generated. All filters and instructions still apply.

chr

Result is a character string.

int

Result is a integer.

dec

Result is a number with decimals.

bin

Result is either true, false (equals “null”)

cat

Result is a pre-defined answer category. See answer_list for possible answers.

Rules for filter and goto

Filter and goto definitions consist of question names and symbols only, no keywords (e.g. “goto”) are used.

• Symboles ( ) = < > @ | & : != <= >=
• Filter (AGE > 20) & (SEX = 1) means: this question is asked if “age” is greater than 20 and “sex” is 1
• Goto (2 @ TARGET) means: if the answer to the current question is 2 then go to question “target”
• Refer to items using the colon as a seperator, e.g. (PSOR:2 = 3).
• Value lists and ranges: (x = 1:3) is equal to (x = 1,2,3) is equal to (x = 1) | (x = 2) | (x = 3)