Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

WinDEM - Merge FilesWinDEM - Merge Files

Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg2

Table of Content1. When is it necessary?2. How can it be done technically? 3. What has to be taken into account?

Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge WinDEM Data Files

Example: Imagine you have entered somestudents' questionnaire data of your country in two different files:

Filename No. of cases

Puncher ID

ISGDEUM2.dbf

8 111

ISGNATM2.dbf

7 222

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge WinDEM Data Files

WinDEM File

(ISGDEUM2.dbf)

Puncher ID 111

WinDEM File

(ISGNATM2.dbf)

Puncher ID 222

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge WinDEM Data Files

Puncher ID 111 Puncher ID 222

WinDem File(ISGDEUM2.dbf)

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge WinDEM Data Files

Merging data files is only neccessary if you entered the same type of data in more than one data file.

NOTE:

Merging data files should be done before final data cleaning.

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

How to open the Table View?Sidebar

Merge WinDEM Data Files

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

ISGDEUM2.dbf

(file to be merged)

(main file)

ISGNATM2.dbf

Merge WinDEM Data Files

8

All students from school

1001

All students from school

2002

The codebooks corresponding to the files must have exactly the same structure.

NOTE:

Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge Data Files – Process

To merge two data files in WinDEM, you need to open the CODEBOOK of the first (main) file:

ISGDEUM2.sdb

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge Data Files – ProcessPlease select a codebook with a corresponding data file in the appropriate path.

You will get a message that informs you about the already existing data file. Click „OK“ to proceed.

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge Data Files – Process

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Select Import > WinDEM from the “Import/Export” menuOpen the data file to be merged

Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

The records from ISGDEUM2.dbf and ISGNATF2.dbf have been merged now.

Merge Data Files – Result

The data file ISGDEUM2.dbf now consists of 15 records (8+7).

The merged data file will automatically take the name of the open codebook (in our example ISGDEUM2.dbf).

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

Merge Data Files – ResultOnce you have merged the files, the combined data file (main file) will appear as follows:

Records from imported file

(ISGNATM2.dbf)13

Records from main file

(ISGDEUM2.dbf)

Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg

If you want to keep a copy of the original file (here: ISGDEUF2.dbf), save it (and its codebook) under a different name BEFORE you perform data merging!

Although you may have checked the individual files BEFORE merging and no problems were found, it is recomended that you repeat the check on duplicated records (Unique ID check) for the merged file!

Merge Data Files

NOTE:

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Data Management Seminar, 8-11th July 2008, Hamburg15

Thank you!Thank you!