This User's Manual illustrates how to begin using the Windows version of
the data base access software NLS Database Investigator. This
retrieval system accompanies one, more, or all of the National Longitudinal Survey's
(NLS) databases. The retrieval software
is available immediately via download at http://www.nlsinfo.org/dbgator/index.php3. All of the datasets are also available
immediately via download at the Product Availability
web page (http://www.nlsinfo.org/ordering/display_db.php3). On the same web page, for a fee, each cohort-dataset
can also be ordered on CD ROM that comes with a copy of the software.
With the NLS database
retrieval software you can extract NLS data and prepare that data for
statistical analysis. You can create,
modify, and save your own personalized, extracted files for further
research. This package is easy to
use. If you already have some knowledge
of the NLS and a search strategy in mind, you will be able to complete that
search and extract a file within minutes of using the guide. Just follow this guide and substitute your
own strategy for the examples given.
To get the most out of
this User's Manual, you should
already be familiar with the NLS and know how your interests can be served by
NLS data. You need some idea of
the samples covered and the types of information collected by the survey
instrument. If you have questions about
the NLS data, please consult the NLS Handbook (at http://www.bls.gov/nls/handbook/nlshndbk.htm). More specific information on cohorts,
datasets, and tailored guides accompany the retrieval software as
documentation. They are installed
during the installation of software and data.
They can be found in the Contents window under the Documents directory
as shown in the initial screen display of NLS Database Investigator
shown in Figure 7. Additional
links can be fund under Links in the command Menu of the software.
In addition to knowledge
of the NLS and its data, you need to have some knowledge of the MicrosoftÒ WindowsÔ operating system.
This guide explains in detail how to install and use the Windows version
of the NLS data extraction software.
Before you install or
start the NLS software make sure you have the following minimum hardware:
1. A PC running Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP and a
minimum of 256 megabytes of memory.
2. Between 650-750 megabytes of disk space.
The following conventions are used
throughout this guide.
<Enter> Anything enclosed in angle braces represents a key on the keyboard. Find the corresponding key and press it.
<Alt> + <F1> The plus (+) sign between two keys means
hold down the first key and press the second key. Then release both keys.
bold Anything
that you are asked to type exactly as it appears in the manual will appear in
bold type. For example, if you are
asked to type NLSDBA, it will appear in bold.
The software is not sensitive to upper or lower case.
italics Anything
that is a placeholder for variable information will be written in italics. For example, if you are asked to provide the
name of a file it will appear as filename,
a letter for a disk drive as d:.
If you have any customer
service questions or
technical support problems
please contact:
·
The Ohio State
University
·
Center for Human
Resource Research
·
921 Chatham Lane, Suite
200
·
Columbus, OH 43221-2418
·
614-442-7366 "User Services"
E-mail: USERSVC@postoffice.chrr.ohio-state.edu
To install the NLS Database
Investigator follow one of the steps below depending on how you
acquired the software.
Assume
“C:” is the drive on your PC where you want to install the software.
·
Go to the software download page. (http://www.nlsinfo.org/dbgator/index.php3).
·
Click on "Download
the Software".
·
Save
"dbgator.exe" in an appropriate directory, e.g.
"C:\DBGATOR".
·
Execute the saved file
by clicking the "Start" button, then click "Run...".
·
In the "Open"
box type "C:\DBGATOR\DBGATOR.EXE", then click "OK".
·
Now click the
"Start" button again and click "Run..." again.
·
This time, in the
"Open" box, type "C:\DBGATOR\SETUP.EXE", then click
"OK".
Upon
completion of this process the software will be installed on you PC. Skip to
“Installing the Data”. Updates to the
online software are posted automatically and the latest version number is
posted there. You may wish to periodically check the page to keep current with
the retrieval software.
Assume
“D:” is the CD-ROM drive on your PC.
You must substitute your CD-ROM drive in the place of “D:” below.
·
Insert the CD in your
CD-ROM drive.
·
Click the
"Start" button on your PC, then click "Run...".
·
In the "Open"
box type "D:\Software\SETUP.EXE", then click "OK".
·
Skip to “Installing the
Data, From CD ROM”.
Software
updates to CD ROMs occur when a new year of data is added to the NLS database,
a new compact disc may be purchased along with the current software. As the software is refined and updated, new
software versions will be issued with the next available data update. Any major errors in the search software will
be released on PC diskette as soon as they are discovered. Whenever you receive any updated version of
the data or software, you must re-install the new versions.
After you have
successfully installed the software, you will need to install one or more
cohorts (datasets) to be accessed by the software. This installation simply tells the retrieval software where a
dataset is located and, via the dataset’s initialization (cohort.ini) file,
passes essential indexing information to the software.
Datasets
arranged by NLS cohorts may be downloaded from the Product Availability page at http://www.nlsinfo.org/ordering/display_db.php3. To begin the download process select the
desired datasets for download, fill in the requested information, and follow
the download directions. Each cohort is downloaded in the same manner as
outlined below.
To
download and decompress a data file (cohort_dataset.zip, e.g., nlsy79.zip)
Click
on "Download".
Save
" cohort_dataset .zip" in an appropriate directory, e.g.
"C:\TEMP" .
Open
"C:\TEMP\ cohort_dataset .zip" with a decompression program
(such as WINZIP®) and
unzip to appropriate directory, e.g. "D:\nlsdata\".
To
install the data file (cohort.ini)
Start
NLS Database Investigator (download here).
Click
on "Options | Add a Cohort", select the location you unzipped to
(e.g. "D:\nlsdata\"), and click on "Open".
Skip
to “Running The Software”.
Once
the software is installed, you need to tell the software were the data files
are. So make sure the CD ROM is in the drive, and that the NLS Investigator
Software is running on your PC. The
data file must be decompressed from the CD ROM.
To
decompress the data file (cohort_dataset.zip,
e.g., nlsy79.zip)
·
Open "D:\
cohort_dataset.zip" with a decompression program (such as WINZIP®) and unzip to an appropriate directory, e.g. "C:\nlsdata\".
To
add ‘NLSY79’ to the NLS DB Investigator
·
Start NLS DB
Investigator (see the section below, if you do not know how to run the software
in your browser).
·
Click on "Options
| Add a Cohort", select the location you unzipped to (e.g.
"C:\nlsdata\nlsy79"), and click on "Open".
·
Select “cohort.ini” and
click on “Open”.
The
above procedure may be used with any of the NLS cohorts.
Running the Software
|
Figure 1 NLS Database Investigator Startup Screen
|
To run the NLS Database
Investigator from Windows Explorer, open the drive and directory
where you installed the software (default C:\Program Files\CHRR\) and
double-click on dbgator.exe. Or, click Start/Programs/CHRR Software/DB'gator.
When you start the NLS Database
Investigator software, dbgator.exe,
a screen similar to Figure
1 will appear. The first time it
appears it will be blank and you must select the source (Cohort) of the data
set you wish to use.
To select the data set,
use the drop-down menu 
next to
the Cohort field.
When the data set has been
selected the Contents window will
display the Documentation and Indexes that are available with the data
set. From the Contents window, you can control what appears in the other windows
by selecting items in the tree.
You may resize the any of
the windows to suit your needs. If you
loose track of one of the windows (Contents, Variables, Text/Cdbk), go to the Window menu and choose Default. The screen will refresh its format similar
to that in Figure
1. The contents of the
individual windows will not be lost.
Before specifying the data
set, it may be necessary to say a few words about the layout of the NLS Database
Investigator screen. The
screen is a typical Windows environment with the Command Menu bar just below the Title bar. The register of
commands available for each menu components: File, Window, Extract, Data, Options, Data, Links and Help can be
found by clicking on the menu component
A complete list of commands under each of these components can be found
in Appendix 1, Main Menu Bar.
Title, Menu, and Navigation Bars
Just below the Menu bar is
the 'Navigation' bar.
It contains the Cohort field, a Manage Cohorts
button, and three buttons, Contents,
Variables, Text/Cdbk (Codebook). The data set to be used must be specified in
the Cohort field and the Manage
Cohorts button can be used to add, delete, and search for cohorts. The Contents, Variables, and Text/Cdbk
buttons switch between the active windows displayed in the lower portions of
the screen. These windows are used to manipulate the data for extraction
(Contents), display the results of manipulation and extraction (Variables), and
obtain help in the form of documentation (Text/Cdbk).
In a Windows environment
switching active windows can also be accomplished simply by clicking in the
window. However, if the active window
'covers' one of the inactive windows or the inactive window is minimized, the
above buttons can be used to make the window active and bring it to the
forefront. If you loose track of one of the windows (Contents, Variables,
Text/Cdbk) and its button does not bring it to the forefront, go to the Window menu and choose Default. The screen will refresh its format similar
to that in Figure
1 but the contents of the each window will not be lost. You may then resize.
The windows in the NLS
Database Investigator may be resized according to your preference. You must
decide for yourself what Windows layout you prefer. Once your preferences are
established they will remain that way rather then reverting to the default. It
may be easiest to begin with the Contents window maximized in order to select
an index for use, locate index terms, and select the terms for the search
strategy. Or you may wish to review the on-line, hypertext documentation first
in the Text/Cdbk window.
The Manage Cohorts button,
when pressed, opens the Manage Cohorts window and makes it the active window on
the screen. From the Manage Cohorts window
the user can work with the individual cohorts in the PC's network neighborhood.
In the neighborhood, it can find and distinguish among those cohorts whose
location is already registered with the software from those who are not
registered. It can even distinguish among different versions of cohorts in the Creation Date field.
The Contents button, when
pressed, makes the Contents window the active window on the screen. The
Contents window is the principal window of the data retrieval program. It
allows the user to choose what documentation is displayed in the Text/Cdbk window and which index is used for
data retrieval and display in the Variables window.
The Variables window displays the variables found when
a search is run or it displays the variables in an extract specification file
when that file is opened. "Name, Description, Record Type, Year, Reference
Number, and Question Name" information document the variables
displayed.
The Text/Cdbk window shown in the Figure 2 above provides links
to this manual and to other documentation.
In a Windows environment switching active windows can be accomplished
simply by clicking in the window. However, if the active window 'covers' one of
the inactive windows or the inactive window is minimized, the buttons below can
be used to make the inactive window active and bring it to the forefront.
Each window can be minimized by clicking on the X in the size bar:
The double-square button will reduce the
size of the window to less than full size.
The large square will make the active
window fill up the full screen and hide the other windows.
The X
button will minimize a particular window.
Caution: However, if the 'X'
button in the NLS Database Investigator title bar
is clicked, this will shut down the application and any unsaved data will be
lost.
Select a Cohort to
investigate and begin developing a search strategy within the Contents
window. Or maximize the Text/Cdbk window and view on-line, hypertext
documentation.
In order to begin to
develop a search strategy, a data set, or cohort, must be specified in the
Cohort field. Depending on which of the three options were selected in "Setting Up the NLS Software," you may have to
insert the CD into you CD-ROM drive. Figure 3 shows the default
display for the Contents, Variables, and Text/Cdbk
windows. You may resize the windows
according to your preferences or click on the Window option in the menu bar and
choose a pre-specified command from its drop-down menu .
|
Figure 3 Database Investigator Main Window's Components
|
To specify a cohort, use
the drop-down menu in the Cohort field to see the data sets
available. Click on the data set
you want to investigate.
Once
a data set is specified a list of the indexes and documents that are associated
with the data set will appear in the Contents window. The two other windows, Variables and Text/Cdbk, are used to
receive data depending on choices made in the Contents window. The windows will be discussed in the
following order Contents, Variables, and Text/Cdbk.
Figure
3 also shows the Text/Cdbk window displaying the NLS
Investigator User's Manual documentation.
When
you click on the Manage Cohorts button, the window in Figure
4 opens. If you have never used the software or you have no cohorts
registered with the software, when the window opens it will be blank. You must
begin by using the File menu and search your PC to find the cohorts (datasets)
that you have downloaded and (unzipped) decompressed on your hard drives,
and/or that are on the CD-ROM disc, and/or on your network drives. To begin,
move the cursor to Search for Cohorts.
When you select Search for Cohorts from the File
menu, you will then be asked to specify what drive(s) you want to search for
existing datasets (cohorts): Hard Drives, CD-ROMS, Network Drives. You may
select one or all of the choices. Then the software will search the drive(s)
you specified and display the results, if any, in the window similar to Figure 5 below.
The results of the Search for Cohorts feature
identify the location (path, directory, name) and creation-date for each cohort
that resides within the network neighborhood (disk drives, cd-rom drives, and
network drives that you included in your search) of your PC. If there are
cohorts whose locations are already recognized and registered by the software,
those cohorts will appear in the window with a checkmark (see Figure 5). The cohorts in the
network neighborhood that are recognized but whose locations are not registered
by the software (and presently unavailable to it) will also appear in the
window but without a checkmark.
To register a cohort, check its box. To un-register a
cohort, uncheck it box.
The Creation Date
of the cohort may be used to distinguish among multiple releases or versions of
similar datasets.
Commands in the File Menu
|
To Add
|
(or register) a cohort to
the software, it must be checked. If it is already checked, it is already
registered in the software.
|
|
To Remove
|
(or un-register) a
cohort, the simpler way is to uncheck it in the window.
Then, when the window is closed, it will no longer be available to the Database
Investigator software for manipulation and it will no longer appear in
the Cohort field as one of the available datasets. If you really want to
delete a cohort and its associated files, this is the command!
NOTE: If you choose to use this Remove command, you will be
asked in an intermediary step if you would like 'to delete the files
associated with' the highlighted cohort.
·
If you do not delete the files, they will remain on the disk and will
be found again the next time you use the Search for Cohorts command. Choosing
to not delete the files is the equivalent of unchecking the cohort.
·
If you wish to delete the files and choose 'yes', they will be removed
from your hard disk and you would have to re-install them again as if you were
installing a new dataset.
|
|
To Explore
|
an individual cohort
listed in the window, its Description, Cohort Name, Directory and Creation
Date must first be highlighted by clicking on the cohort, then the Explore
command in the menu should be selected. The Explore command opens a standard
Windows Explorer dialogue box at the path and location of the dataset.
|
Contents Window
|
Figure 6 Database Investigator Main Window's
Components
|
The Contents window shown
in Figure 6 and maximized
in Figure 7 is the
principal window for data retrieval and is used to navigate among
documentation, indexes, and variable displays for a specified cohort. It
controls the selection of the components that are available for the selected
cohort. Depending on the cohort selected, different documentation and indexes
may be available. The contents window
is also used to develop a search strategy of selected variables. To work with the Contents window, it may be
best to maximize it as shown in Figure
7.
When the Contents window
is maximized its three frames from top to bottom can be viewed better. The
frames from top to bottom are:
1.
The top frame or Components of the data set that include
available documentation and indexes to the variables that are available in the
data set. To select a specific index,
click on + Indexes expand the tree and display the contents of the available
indexes; then double-click on the desired index name;
2. The middle frame or Index Terms available in the selected Index, and a 'Search for'
engine to speed up variable selection; and
3. The bottom frame or Items (i.e., variables) selected from various indexes that are
being assembled into a Boolean search strategy.
|
Figure 7 Contents Window Maximized
|
The Components of the data set (top frame) allow the user to switch
access to the principal indexes of the data set and to select the documents to
appear in the Text/Cdbk window. The
available indexes may vary from one data set to another. For example, the 'Area of Interest' index
has replaced the previously used Record Type index. To view the contents of an
index, double-click on the index name and its contents will appear in the Index Terms frame (middle).
