![]() ![]() ![]() However, it generally won't do it in the way you would want, so you need to manually correct it. If you use text, the analysis software will generally convert the underlying data back into numbers. The only good way of doing this is to enter the metadata into the analysis software, which takes time. In order to analyze this data, we need to keep track of what these numbers and values mean. The basic problem is that they are usually missing key metadata, which either makes analysis difficult or impossible.Ĭonsider the example using codes and numbers. Flat files are always missing metadataĪlthough flat files are easy to create, they are usually not so easy to analyze. Sometimes files will contain a mix of names, labels, and values. In the example below, Person's age is referred to by the variable name of q1, and the age of 35 to 44 is represented by the value of 3. Under 18ğemale Neither agree nor disagreeĦ0 or moreğemale Strongly agree A flat file containing variable names and valuesĪn alternative to showing labels is to instead show variable names and values. Person's age GenderĚttitudeģ5 to 44ğemale Neither agree nor disagree Looking at the age variable shown below, we can see that there are three unique values: 34 to 44 (which appears twice), Under 18, and 60 or more. In this example, the values in the data file are labels (i.e., text). ![]() In the example below, tabs are used to delimit the variables, and we can see that the first variable is called, Person's age and the first case has a value of 35 to 44. Variables are delimited (separated) in some way.(Often) The first row contains the names of the variables.Better file formats are required if you have a large number of variables. ![]() If using a flat file, it is good practice to create a data dictionary. Flat files contain limited metadata, which makes them problematic for some types of data analysis (e.g., survey data). Flat files generally store values as either text or numbers. A flat data file is a file that is structured as a raw data table, with rows for every case. ![]()
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