Exporting to MS Access(TM) Relational Database

Export to Relational Database

  1. Select File|Export Interviews.
  2. Select MS Access Relational Database (.MDB) from the Save as type box.
  3. Select Variable Subset if desired.
  4. Click Options and make desired changes.
  5. Click Save.

A pop-up dialog box will indicate how many interviews were exported. The Relational Database export format may include the following six Access Tables:

  • Question: The Number, Text, and Response Type of each question
  • Variable: The Name, Label, and Value Type of each Variable
  • Interview: Identifying characteristics for each collected interview (Start Time, End Time, Subject ID, Language, etc.)
  • Value: The value of each variable for each interview (optional)
  • Comments: Interviewer comments (optional)
  • Hits: The number of times each question was encountered and the total amount of time, in seconds, spent on each item (optional)

The Tables are linked by identifiers created by the Warehouse Manager (QuestionID, VariableID, and InterviewID). The identifier values are arbitrary and may change with each export. They serve only to link related information within a single export file.

Value Table Fields to Express Variable Values

  • Value Set: A code indicating whether a value has been set and the type of value
    • Value: A single, normal response value was entered.
    • DK: The special value Don’t Know was entered.
    • Refused: The special value Refuse to Answer was entered.
    • NA: The special value Not Applicable was entered.
    • Skipped: This variable was skipped by a branching instruction.
    • Empty: This variable was never reached or was not in the source version.
  • Numeric Code: The numeric value or code representing this response.
  • Text Display: A text description/display of this response.
  • Range Bottom: The lower limit of the QDS range for this value.
  • Range Top: The upper limit of the QDS range for this value.

Save As Options: Relational Database

After selecting MS Access Relational Database from the Save As box, the Options box opens. The following options may be set:

 Relational Database Options

  • Include Values table: Check to include a Table of data responses entered for each question of each interview. (default setting is checked)
  • Include Interviewer Comments: Check to include a Table of interviewer comments entered for each interview. (default setting is checked)
  • Include Hits table: Check to include a Table showing the number of times each question was encountered and the total number of seconds spent on it for each automated interview. A question may be encountered more than once through the use of the Previous Question button or via loop-backs triggered by edit checks. (default setting is checked)
  • Include empty value rows: Check to include a row in each Values, Comments, and Hits Table for questions that were never reached during an interview. If this box is not checked, empty rows will be excluded. (default setting is unchecked)