Description of output
California Inventory for Family Assessment (CIFA)
The CIFA is copyright (c) 1989, 1992, 1996
by Paul D. Werner, Ph.D. and Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D.
Data Entry Instructions for Computer Scoring
(182 item -- 4 point response format)
ASCII (Text) entry
Output of the SPSS syntax program
for checking ASCII (text) data entry and saving the resulting file in SPSS format
Output section 1: lists the read-in format for each variable being processed.
Output section 2: lists the following variables for each set of four data lines, for all sets of four cases in your text file:
fam1 = family number from data line 1
recno1 = record (line) number from data line 1 (this should equal 1)
fam2 = family number from data line 2
recno2 = record (line) number from data line 2 (this should equal 2)
fam3 = family number from data line 3
recno3 = record (line) number from data line 3 (this should equal 3)
fam4 = family number from data line 4
recno4 = record (line) number from data line 4 (this should equal 4)
Note that the four family numbers in each line of this section of output should be identical. If they are not, there is a problem with the sequence or organization of data lines.
Output section 3:
This section gives results of checks of the information read in on four identification variables, across the four lines read in as each case. It lists family, record, and project number entries for the four lines read in for a case ONLY for cases showing a problem in the following:
--The progression of record numbers within the four lines read in for a case was not 1, 2, 3, 4.
-- Project numbers on the four lines read in for a case are not identical.
--Family numbers on the four lines read in for a case are not identical.
--Form numbers (e.g., 01101 in columns 67-71 of each record of a case) are not identical across all records of the case as read in.
If no problems are found in the output in this section will appear as follows:
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
List
Number of cases read: 0 Number of cases listed: 0
Output section 4:
This section gives frequency distributions or descriptive statistics on all variables as read in. Review this section of the output carefully and determine whether any “impossible” values are present (e.g., an age that is “too old” or “too young” for your sample, response to the items that are out of range
Output section 5:
This section lists cases that have missing data on any items of the CIFA. First, cases on which at least one item has been entered as blank are listed. The family number from data line 1 and the number of blanks across items are listed. (Remember that there should be no blanks in the data entry of items -- missing item responses should be entered as zeroes. Next, the familiy number from data line 1 and the number of zeroes entered across items are listed.
End of Processing:
At the end of this process, the current data file will be saved in your computer’s C:/ folder (the “root directory”), with the name
TEMP.POR
It is an SPSS portable file (meaning that it can be read easily by all versions of SPSS). This file will appear in your SPSS data editor.
IF THE CHECKS ABOVE INDICATED NO PROBLEMS IN YOUR DATA ENTRY, resave the file as an SPSS portable file with a name signifying the version, your project number, and the fact that this is a file of item responses:
e.g., File->save as->HGW001_items.por
The first variables in the file are identifying codes, and these are followed by item responses and demographic variables. Note that the saved file contains unused variables that are reserved for future development of the CIFA. You should ignore these for now superfluous variables.
IF THE CHECKS ABOVE INDICATED ONE OR MORE PROBLEMS IN YOUR DATA ENTRY,
(a) identify the source(s) of the problem(s)
(b) correct your text file and resave it
(c) clear your SPSS output
and (d) rerun this syntax problem.
You may need to go through this process multiple times until you are confident that your SPSS portable file correctly represents your respondents’ item data
Return to the CIFA SPSS Data Entry page
Return to the California Inventory for Family Assessment home page
Contact information for the authors of the California Inventory for Family Assessment
This web page is copyright (c) 2007 by Paul D. Werner and Robert-Jay Green. Not to be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the written permission of the authors.