Introduction
Variables in codeit are analogous to questions in a survey. Variables hold all of the responses for a given question and give them a name to refer to when importing, Coding and Exporting data.
This page explains the concept of variables and outlines their usage within codeit.
Why Variables and not "Questions"?
If a Variable is like a question, then by not just call it a Question? Although a questionnaire is made up of questions, from the respondents point of view, real-world surveys contain other items of data that the respondent doesn't see. For example, Interview Id, Panel Id, Wave, Cell, Country and so on. So, codeit uses the general term "Variable" to refer to fields of data within your Project.
Types of Variable
Most survey systems have a long list of variable types (Open, Essay, Closed, Rating, Date and so on), but for coding purposes, the most important distinction is whether a variable is an open end variable or closed end variable. Closed end variables have a codeframe attached which constrains responses to a fixed list of pre-defined responses. Open end variables can contain any response, and in particular free text verbatim responses. This simple distinction loses some of the nuance present in some survey systems, but for practical Coding purposes this isn't important.
| Variable Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Open End | Any Variable within a Project that does not have a codeframe attached | QLikes Q_Reasons |
| Closed End | A Variable within a Project that has a Codeframe attached. A Closed End variable could be used as a Target Variable to stored coded data, or could simply be a Closed End variable which is relevant as a Context Variable. | QLikes_c Q_Reasons_coded Region QPurchaseFrequency |
How are variables created?
There are three ways to create Waves within codeit:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Import | When importing a file, any fields that you import will be created as Variables within codeit. Initially, all Variables will be assumed to be Open End variables until a Codeframe is attached to them. |
| Data Links | If your project uses a Data Link, the Questions/Variables you select for linking will be created as Variables in codeit. Variables within codeit will be automatically created as Open End or Closed End depending on the type of Question/Variable within your survey system. |
| Admin | Variables can be manually created within the Administration section of codeit. |