Introduction
A Task in codeit specifies an open ended Variable for coding, along with a number of associated settings that control the functionality of codeit during the coding activity. Tasks are a fundamental element within codeit so it is important to understand how they work.
This page explains the concept of a Task and outlines their usage within codeit.
Task structure
Each Task in codeit is made the following elements:
| Element | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Source Variable | An open ended Variable containing the verbatim responses to be coded | Yes - each Task should have exactly one Source Variable |
| Context Variable | A Variable which should be displayed to the coder alongside the verbatim responses when coding | No - Context Variables are optional, so a Task can have none, or as many as you need |
| Target Variable | A closed end Variable into which coded data should be written | Yes - each Task should have exactly one Target Variable |
In addition to these elements, Tasks have settings that can be used to control the functionality of codeit, such as AI Settings, Task Type.
Why do we need Tasks?
Rather than having Tasks, wouldn't it be easier to just code a verbatim variable directly?
The Task structure allows for greater flexibility. Suppose you need to code a set of verbatims several different ways? For example, you want to code a set of verbatims for themes, adverse events and for fraud. This would involve three different Codeframes, three different output Variables and so on. This kind of setup would not be possible if you just coded the verbatim variable where you're tied to a single Codeframe, single output Variable and so on.
In the example above, you could set up your project to contain three Tasks as follows:
How are tasks created?
There are four ways to create Tasks within codeit:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Start Menu | Using this method, you simply select the verbatim Variable you want to code from the dropdown list and a Task will be created in the background, with default settings, as the coding screen is loaded. |
| Add Tasks Page | This page allows you to create set of Tasks in bulk which is handy if you need to create a lot of Tasks and you want to configure the settings for each in one go. |
| Data Link | The final step of the Data Link Wizard allows you to define your Tasks and the associated settings as part of the data linking process. |
| Admin Pages (Deprecated) | The Administration page in codeit allows you to manually create a Task within a project and specify the associated settings. |