Dates Tab

Go to Options|Data Defaults, Dates tab to change defaults for entering date responses.

Standard Components: All Date Elements must include at least the year. Optionally, they may also include the month or month and day. Select Full Date if date Elements usually include the year, month and day.

Format for year: The year component of the date may be a 2-digit, 4-digit, current year or other fixed year. 2-digit years must all fall within the same century (19xx or 20xx). If the years for most dates are likely to span more than one century, select 4 digits for the format.

Allow Missing Day: Check this box if the respondent will be allowed to answer with an incomplete date that is missing the day of the month.

Substitute (Missing Day): Enter the default value to be substituted for the day component of the date when the day is not provided (e.g., 15). This should be an allowable value (1-28) for all months so that the full date will be valid for analysis.

Allow Missing Month: Check this box if the respondent will be allowed to answer with an incomplete date that is missing the month.

Substitute (Missing Month): Enter the default value to be substituted for the month component of the date, when the month is not provided (e.g., 6). This should be an allowable value (1-12) so that the full date will be valid for analysis.

Use keypad for ACASI: For ACASI interviews, date components may be presented as Spin Controls, where the respondent presses buttons to increase or decrease each component to the correct value, or with a numeric keypads, where the respondent presses digit buttons on a keypad display to enter the value. Select Use keypad for ACASI to provide keypad rather than Spin Controls as the default for date Elements.

Earliest date allowed: Enter the earliest allowable date to be used as the default for Date Elements. You may leave this field blank for no minimum date, or enter CURRENT to make the earliest allowable date the date of the interview.

Latest date allowed: Enter the latest allowable date to be used as the default for Date Elements. You may leave this field blank for no maximum date, or enter CURRENT to make the latest allowable date the date of the interview.

Tip: Always specify an earliest and latest date allowed. The spin dials used to enter dates allow entry of any valid value; when no range is set, the spin dials start at year 1, requiring a user to scroll through over 2000 entries to get to the current date. When a range is specified, the spin dials will be limited to dates within the range.