Abstract
Skip instructions in census and survey questionnaires result in different groups of persons being eligible for different questions—the logical structure of the questionnaire. Logical structure is important for analyzing census and survey data, for processing raw questionnaire data, and for questionnaire design and testing.We define a simple, general, computer-readable representation of a questionnaire that incorporates information on skip instructions. Algorithms for automatic calculation of questionnaire paths and sets of eligible persons are presented and applied to the Malawi 2008 census questionnaire and IPUMS International sample dataset. The R code provided may be used to reproduce our results and to apply the algorithms to other questionnnaires and datasets. We show that dividing questionnaires into sections is a fundamental tool for understanding and limiting logical complexity.We model questionnaires as programs intended for execution by an interviewer or respondent, rather than by a computer, and represent them by a software design diagram that presents information on questions, responses, and skip instructions in a form that is as readable as a traditional paper questionnaire, while simultaneously providing a precise specification that programmers may use to create an electronic version of the questionnaire.
Highlights
No discipline is more fundamental to population science than understanding the instruments used to collect the data that inform empirical research
The third comparison shows that even an organization as experienced as IPUMS International, which has processed datasets for hundreds of population censuses, may err in assigning not-stated and notapplicable codes when using the traditional method of manually working out logical expressions for sets of eligible persons
Searching for a suitable format led to Fagan and Greenberg (1988), an unpublished US Census Bureau report that uses graph theory to analyze the structure created by skip instructions
Summary
No discipline is more fundamental to population science than understanding the instruments used to collect the data that inform empirical research. Skip instructions and progressions Given a questionnaire, how can we calculate possible paths through the questionnaire— subsequences of questions that may be asked of a person? A skip instruction following a question directs the interviewer to proceed, for some subgroup of persons, to some question other than the question on the questionnaire. The filter All signifies that every person who is asked the From question will be asked the To question These understandings make it possible to represent any questionnaire by a progression table, a question table, and a response table, as defined in the “Progression tables” section below. The nine paths listed, for example, may be read off from Fig. 2a, which diagrams questions and progressions for the economic activity section of the Malawi 2008 census questionnaire (Minnesota Population Center, 2018b; see Fig. 3 below). The questions on path forward from this To question may include one or more branching questions, so
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
