CADDIES instructions

Owned by g.seabrook
Last updated: Dec 17, 2021 by Nimal Vitharana (Unlicensed)
11 min read

Note that CADDIES has been superseded by Archivist.

The instructions below are step by step guidance for entry. In boxes, there are also items of advice that relate to the instructions.

Preparation

To make the process more efficient, it may be beneficial go through the questionnaire and identify:

  • Repeated question answers (such as Dates or Yes/No Code Schemes)
  • Key sections that will form Sequences. This will give you the overall structure of your questionnaire.
  • Where Grid and Loop functions will be used.

You might also want to divide the questionnaire into manageable chunks (between 10 and 30 questions long) or sections. You can then complete the instructions for each section.

Checking for existing items

Checks are listed in these instructions against re-usable items only. In the case of re-usable items, you might want to gain efficiencies by only entering these once. These are not checks to establish whether someone has already completed the work

Creating the Response Answers

The response answers must be created first before you can use them to build the questions.

1. Enter the Categories

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    1. Access the relevant CADDIES instance for the questionnaire you are completing.
    2. Go to Categories and check if the Category you want is present. You can do this by typing in the Search box and pressing Enter/clicking Search.

    3. If not, click New Category.

    4. Add the text of the Category

    5. Click Create.

    6.  Repeat as required.

    7. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

2. Compile the Delete (Categories) into Delete (Code Lists)

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    1. A Code List consists of a number of Categories compiled together and with relevant codes.

    2. Go to Code Lists and check if the Code List you want is present.

      Code List Labels

      Where a Code List is used more than once, it can be given a more generic label to make it more visible such as cs_Yes_No. More detailed guidance can be found in the guide to labelling ***Add link***

    3. If not, click New Code List.
    4. Give the Code List a Short Description (label). These must be unique. Code List labels should use the format cs_[question_reference].
    5. Select the Category you want from the drop down list. You must then give the Category a code value. This should reflect the questionnaire where such codes are available.
    6. Click Add to list. The item will then appear in the list above the entry section. You can rearrange the items in the list by dragging and dropping.
    7. When you have listed all the Categories.
    8. Click Create  
    9.  Repeat as required.

    10. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

3. Create the Code Lists

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    1. A Code Answer needs to be created for all Code Lists in order to use them as a domain answer.

    2. Code Answers do not need creating for those used as row and column headings in grids. When considering whether an item is a grid or not, you can refer to the guide on Sub-questions ***Add link***

    3. Go to Code Answers and check if the Code Answer you want is present.

    4. If not, click New Code Answer.

    5. Select the Code list from the drop down menu.

    6. Click Create.

    7.  Repeat as required.

    8. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the  navigation path near the top of the page.

4. Create the Text Answers

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    1. Text answers are response domains for when string of text is need as the interviewees' reply. They can vary in length from a single letter to an essay. Key considerations are:

      1. Where a numerical answer requires a unit or other qualifying information, it should be added as text answer. For example, ‘Give your height in centimetres’ is a number, whereas ‘Give your height’ is a text answer as the unit needs to be specified in the answer

      2. Most can be covered by standardised text answers such as ‘Long text’ (with no maximum length) and ‘Generic text’ (with a maximum length of 255).

      3. Commonly used text fields should be named to enhance their use such as Other (maximum length 255) unless a long response is expected.

      4. Maximum length matters so ‘Other (max length: 30)’ is different to ‘Other (max length: 200)’.

    2. Go to Text Answers and check if a suitable Text Answer is present.

    3. If not, click New Text answer.

    4. Enter a Description and the maximum number of characters that can be entered. The maximum number of characters is optional.

    5. Click Create. 

    6.  Repeat as required.

    7. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

5. Create the Numeric Answers

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    1. Numeric answers are spaces for interviewees to add a number within a questionnaire. They are either Integer or Float.
    2. Go to Numeric Answers and check if a suitable Numeric Answer is present.

    3. If not, click New Numeric answer.

    4. Enter a Description and the maximum number of characters that can be entered. The maximum number of characters is optional.

    5. Click Create.

    6.  Repeat as required.

    7. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

6. Create the Time, Duration and Date Answers

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    1. Time and Date Answers allow entry of times, dates and durations.

    2. Go to Time and Date Answers and check if a suitable Time and Date Answer is present.

    3. If not, click New Time and Date answer.

    4. Enter a Description.

    5. Select a type; date, time or duration.

    6. If the type is duration, enter a format ***Add link to further guidance***.

    7. Click Create. 

    8.  Repeat as required.

    9. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page. 

Building the Questions

Here the question text is entered and brought together with the possible response answers. You will need all the above components in place before you can build these, hence why this is not the first step in the process. You will need to consider whether the question is a Question Item or a Question Grids, referring to the guide on Sub-questions ***Add link***. You will also need to consider if there are Interviewer Instructions which are attached to the question.

7. Enter the Interviewer Instructions

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    1. Interviewer instructions are instructions attached to specific questions that direct the interviewer to answer a question in a specific way.
    2. Go to Interviewer Instructions and check if the instruction answer is present.
    3. If not, click New Instruction.
    4. Enter instruction text.
    5. Click Create.
    6. Repeat as required.
    7. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page. 

8. Create the Question Items

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    1. Go to Question Items.
    2. Click New Question Item.
    3. Add the question item Name (the label) ***add link to label guidance***
    4. Select relevant interviewer instructions from the drop down menu. You can only attach one set of interviewer instructions.
    5. Type in the question text exactly as it appears, reproducing any errors.
    6. Select the relevant answer options. You can have multiple answer options and mix answer types.
    7. Click Create.
    8. Repeat as required.
    9. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

9. Create the Question Grids

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 A Question Grid is used to enter more complex question situations. ***Add more text and link to sub-question guide***

Grid referencing

Grids result in a number of cells that need to be referenced in condition logic. Referencing will generally apply to cells, but it may be a requirement to refer to rows, columns or the complete table.

Example

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Row 1


Row 2

X
Row 3


This table would be referred to as qc_example in its entirety. A cell would be referred using column and then row. The cell with the X in is qc_example$3;2.

To reference a whole column or row, use the notation for that item, combined with a * to reference the multiple cells being covered in the other item. Row 1, therefore, is qc_example$*;1 and Column 2 would be qc_example$2;*.

This becomes more complex when referring to multiple columns or rows. The notation for the selected item needs to expand to contain more information. Examples are:

    1. Columns 2 and 3 would be: qc_example$2:3;*
    2. Columns 1 and 3 would be: qc_example$1,3;*

NB pay close attention to the use of colons and semi-colons in this notation. A colon is used to denote the upper and lower ends of a range. A semi-colon is used to separate items.

Constructing the Questionnaire Layout

Now we move from creating the content to laying out the content.

10. Build the Sequences

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    1. Sequences are the structure of the questionnaire – a series of containers holding the content below them. These are mostly section headings, but may also be used to designate sub-sections. Key considerations are:
      1. For a sub-section to be a Sequence it must have a clear section end and not be a sentence.

    2. Go to Sequences. You should already see ‘0 the attic’ and ‘1 TopSequence’. These are structural and should always be used.

    3. Go to New Sequence.

    4. Give your new Sequence a name relating to the questionnaire you are entering. This is the ‘wrapper’ and should identify the questionnaire clearly (usually the port prefix).

    5. Select the parent as TopSequence.

    6. Click Create.

    7. Return to Sequences by clicking this on the Sequences in the navigation path near the top of the page.

    8. Now create any section sequences using the wrapper as the parent. These will sit inside the wrapper.

    9. Go to New Sequence.

    10. Give your new Sequence the name which is in the questionnaire e.g. Section A.

    11. Select the wrapper as the parent component.

    12. Decide on the position. If you create the items in order, this can be left and it will be added to the end of the items listed under the parent. If you wish to place this in a different order, click the drop down menu and identify which item you want it to be placed before.

    13. Click Create.

    14. Repeat as required.

    15. You can easily view the Sequences you have created and their order in the Spine View.

    16. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

11. Add the Interviewees

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    1. Interviewees are the people completing the questionnaire. The Controlled Vocabulary should be used for this Interviewee (Response Unit).

    2. Go to Interviewees.

    3. Click New Interviewee Category.

    4. Add a Description from the Controlled Vocabulary.

    5. Click Create.

    6. Repeat as required.

    7. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

12. Add the Question Construct

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    1. Question constructs are used to situate Question Items and Question Grids in the structure of the questionnaire. They also allow additional information, such as Interviewee, to be added.
    2. Go to New Question Component.
    3. Give the Question Component a Name (label). This should be the same as the Question Item or Question Grid, but begin ‘qc_’. Refer to the labelling guide ***add link***.
    4. Select an Interviewee from the list you previously added.
    5. Choose a Question Item or a Question Grid and look up the relevant question from the drop down menu.
    6. Situate the Question Component:
      1. Select the parent component from the drop down menu. It can either be a previously created Sequence or Condition (discussed below).
      2. If the question is within a condition, then select the appropriate parent condition from the drop down menu. You then need to indicate if it appears in the If or Else branch. For an If branch (where the condition is true) tick the box. For an Else branch (where the condition is false) leave it unticked.
      3. Then decide on the position. If you create the items in order, this can be left and it will be added to the end of the items listed under the parent. If you wish to place this in a different order, click the drop down menu and identify which item you want it to be placed before.
    7. Click Create.
    8. Repeat as required.
    9. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

13. Create and Add the Conditions

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    1. Go to Conditions.

    2. Click New Condition.

    3. Give the condition a Name (label). This should be in the format c_[questionref]. Refer to the labelling guide ***add link***
    4. Add the text of the condition. This should be the text exactly as it appears in the questionnaire.

    5. After the text, in square brackets the condition should be documented using the Condition Notation. This allows it to be extracted for programmatic use later.

      Condition Notation

      There is a set of standard condition logic used in CLOSER. This should reside within the square brackets where it can be systematically extracted for future use. It should refer to items using the labels of the relevant constructs.

      Comparisons

      ==

      Is equal to

      !=

      Is NOT equal to

      < 

      Less than

      > 

      Greater than

      Joining

      &&

      To join two comparisons using an AND

      ||

      To join two comparisons using an OR

      Qualifiers

      ‘ (single quote)

      Meta value

      “ (double quote)

      Literal string

      Grid coordinates

      $X;Y

      Used to specify a cell or multiple cells of a grid

      Note that it is possible to have a condition which does not relate to a question, in which case there is no condition logic and the square brackets will be empty.

    6. Situate the Condition:

      1. Select the parent component from the drop down menu. It can either be a previously created Sequence or Condition.

      2. If the new condition is within a condition, then select the appropriate parent condition from the drop down menu. You need to indicate if it appears in the If or Else branch. For an If branch (where the condition is true) tick the box. For an Else branch (where the condition is false) leave it unticked.

      3. Then decide on the position. If you create the items in order, this can be left and it will be added to the end of the items listed under the parent. If you wish to place this in a different order, click the drop down and identify which item you want it to be placed before.

    7. Click Create.

    8. Repeat as required.
    9. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

14. Create and Add the Statements

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    1. Statements are portions of text that are important to the questionnaire, but do not constitute questions.

    2. Go to Statements.

    3. Click New Statement.

    4. Add a Name (label) for the Statement. This should be in the format ‘s_[description_of_statement]’. Refer to the labelling guide ***add link***

    5. Copy the Statement into the Text field.

    6. Situate the Statement:
      1. Select the parent component from the drop down menu. It can either be a previously created Sequence or Condition.
      2. If the new condition is within a condition, then select the appropriate parent condition from the drop down menu. You need to indicate if it appears in the If or Else branch. For an If branch (where the condition is true) tick the box. For an Else branch (where the condition is false) leave it unticked.
      3. Then decide on the position. If you create the items in order, this can be left and it will be added to the end of the items listed under the parent. If you wish to place this in a different order, click the drop down and identify which item you want it to be placed before.
    7. Click Create.
    8. Repeat as required.
    9. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

15. Add loops

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    1.  Loops are used when there are questions which are repeated for several iterations.
    2. Go to Loops.
    3. Click New Loop.
    4. Add a Name (label) for the loop. ‘l_[description_of_statement]’. Refer to the labelling guide ***add link***
    5. Add the loop variable. This will usually be a name related to the subject of the loop question, for example ‘hospital stay’.
    6. Add the initial value. This is usually 1.
    7. Add the end value, if appropriate. This is the max number of time you want the loop to run.
    8. Add the loop while. This contains the logic of the loop e.g. for loop while the answer to question 1 is less than five, the logic would be  [qc_1 < 5]
    9.  Situate the loop:
      1. Select the parent component from the drop down menu. It can either be a previously created Sequence or Condition.
      2. If the loop is within a condition, then select the appropriate parent condition from the drop down menu. You need to indicate if it appears in the If or Else branch. For an If branch (where the condition is true) tick the box. For an Else branch (where the condition is false) leave it unticked.
      3. Then decide on the position. If you create the items in order, this can be left and it will be added to the end of the items listed under the parent. If you wish to place this in a different order, click the drop down and identify which item you want it to be placed before.
    10. Click Create.
    11. Repeat as required.
    12. Return to the Questionnaire page by clicking on Questionnaire in the navigation path near the top of the page.

16. Document DDI Instance data

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    1. This is documented at the time of port creation for the most part. It should be checked, however, and amended to ensure that items which cannot be generated are correct. ***add link to port creation document?***

    2. The Agency should be set to the correct entry for the metadata owners **add link to list of Agencies***.

    3. The Instrument should have a human readable questionnaire title. Whilst the prefix might be alspac_ay, the Instrument should read ‘About Yourself’.