The filters (or index-terms) chosen from filter categories (or indices) provide multifaceted methods of access to variables collected in a survey. Each index assembles index-terms that are assigned to the individual variables. An index-term classifies variables with similar criteria together. A variables may have multiple index-terms assigned to it.
Each of the lists that result from adding a filter are assembled by the same descriptive characteristics: Name, Question name, Variable Title, and Year. The common characteristics that describe the lists of variables assembled make identification information uniform across indices. Variables may be tagged from these results.
The following indices are provided by the NLS Investigator.
This index groups variables by all the words used in their variable title. A 'variable title' is one that is assigned to a variable by an archivist, usually trying to reproduce the focus of the question text. A 'word' in a variable title is considered to be any term, number, or symbol used in the question. These may include the '#' sign, the '$' sign, the '%' sign, '<' or '>', etc. Special symbols and numbers sort before alphabetic characters in this index.
Instead of looking throught the index of Words in Title above, the user may supply a 'word' to be searched for from the above index. This feature will search for the word in the Word in Title index so the 'word' must exist as an item in the index. The user supplied word must not be a complex term containing a space like "body part".
This index groups variables that share a common factor, such as a topic, research use, or source. Variables which have been asked identically over time are stored in organizational units called "areas of interest". Each variable is assigned to an "area of interest" group. In some cases variables are created from other variables for your convenience.
This index groups variables by the year in which they were collected or created. To search this index select a year from the drop-down list and click on Submit Filter Choice(s). These lists are assembled by Name, Question name, Variable Title, and Year. Variables may be tagged from these results.
This index groups variables by reference numbers, i.e., numbers assigned to variables in order to locate them across survey years. The format of a reference number is an alpha character, e.g., 'R', plus 3 numbers, 'Rxxx' or 'R000'. These four characters, the reference number, make up the first four characters of a variable's name and group together variables with the same reference number.
Four more numeric characters are added to the reference number to make up an individual variable's Name. The two right-most numbers in the variable's Name may be represented as decimal places ('Rxxxxx.xx') in some of the documentation. (See, 3.8 Codebook)
In the index's drop-down field, the reference number, e.g., 'R000', will be followed by a number in parenthesis, e.g., (83), indicating that there are 83 variables in the group that begins with the reference number 'R000'. In order to use this index, you must know the Reference Number you wish to find. The resulting lists are assembled by Name, Question name, Variable Title, and Year. Variables may be tagged from these results.
This index groups variables by alphanumerically by question name and locates them across survey years. In order to use this index, you must specify the question name you wish to find. The list of names in the drop-down field is good for browsing survey sections or groups of questions, if the survey you are using was designed with question names that group together topical questions, for example, all household questions should begin with the characters 'HH', all Social Security question begin with 'SS', etc..
Use this filter to assemble and browse lists, for example, a list of all the questions with "BPI-" or "HHI" in their Question Names. These lists are assembled by Name, Question name, Variable Title, and Year. Variables may be tagged from these results.
This index groups variables by all the words used in a question's text. A 'word' is considered to be any term, number, or symbol used in the question. These may include the '#' sign, the '$' sign, the '%' sign, '<' or '>', integers, dates, words, etc. Special symbols and numbers sort before alphabetic characters.
This feature allows the user to view an individual case from the survey. This feature is used most often to investigate an outlier case or, in other words, one that deviates dramatically from other cases in the extract. To view a case, enter the case ID number in the field, then, click on Submit Filter Choice(s). It is a good idea to always include the case ID variable in all your extracts so that you can identify individual cases. After viewing an outlying case you may want to exclude it from the extracted data set.
Go to 3.0 Web Investigator.
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