4.1: Adding a New Respondent Number to a Database

To add a new respondent to a database:

Step 1: Click on the New Command Button at the bottom of the screen or select New on the Record Menu at the top of the screen. (See figure 4.1-1.)

Step 2: The New Respondent ID dialog box will appear. Enter a unique respondent identification number (ID). The ID must be a number (i.e., no letters or special characters). (See figure 4.1-2.)

Step 3: Press the Enter key or click the Continue button.

4.2: Entering and Saving Data in the Interview Information Fields

To enter data into these fields:

Step 1: A blinking cursor will appear in the field next to Respondent Name. Type the data in the blank field (box).

Step 2: To move from field to field, use either the mouse and click on the desired field or press the Tab key on the keyboard. (Shift/Tab will move in the opposite direction, from field to field.) When the blinking cursor is in the desired field, enter the data.

Step 3: Some fields may have a pull down menu from which to choose a response. These fields will have a black arrow to the right of the field. Click on the arrow and highlight the correct response or use the arrow keys on the computer keyboard. (See figure 4.2-1.)

Step 4: After filling in the blank fields with the appropriate data for the respondent, click on the Save Command Button at the bottom of the screen.

If the user forgets to save the data and attempts to move to the Questions Screen, add a new ID, or move to a different ID, EZ-Text prompts the user to save the data before moving on.

4.3: Entering and Saving Data for Open-ended Questions

To enter responses to open-ended questions:

Step 1: Click on the Questions Command Button at the bottom of the screen. This brings up the first open-ended question screen. The top of the screen shows the respondent's ID, the text of the question, and a new Menu Bar which accesses various editing functions. Details on the editing functions can be found in section 4.4. The bottom of the screen contains a new set of Command Buttons. (See figure 4.3-1.)

Step 2: Below the ID and the question is an empty box. Type the text of the response to the first question here. If the data have been typed into a word processor document (e.g., a verbatim transcript of an interview), toggle back and forth between the word processor and EZ-Text to copy blocks of text relevant to the question. (See section 4.4.) Alternatively, the Import Text File function can be used to copy data from a word processor document (see chapter 8). A scrolling feature allows for long passages if the length of the response exceeds the initial space shown in the box on the screen. To use the scrolling feature, click on the down arrow to move down in the question text, or click on the up arrow to move up in the question text. (See figure 4.3-1.)

Step 3: If there is no response to a question, do not leave it blank. On the top left corner of the Menu Bar there is an Other Response option. Click on this item to display a menu with three options: Not Applicable, Question Not Asked, and Respondent Did Not Answer. Highlight the appropriate response to fill in the question text box. (See figure 4.3-2.)

Step 4: After answering each question, there is an option for checking and correcting the spelling by clicking on the Check Spelling Command Button. (See figure 4.3-3.) The Spell Check function can also be accessed from the Agents Menu on the Interview Information Screen Menu Bar. Details on the Spell Check Agent can be found in section 7.5.

Step 5: After answering the first question, click on the Next Question button to continue with the remaining questions.

Step 6: Each time Next Question is clicked, the text of the current question is saved. When Next Question is clicked after all questions have been entered, a prompt will appear informing the user that the last question has been reached. Click on OK, and then click on Return to Main. The program will return to the Interview Information Screen. To add another respondent, repeat steps 1 through 6.

4.4: Editing Responses to Open-ended Questions

To edit responses of open-ended questions:

Step 1: From the Interview Information Screen, click on the Questions Command Button. This brings up the first open-ended question.

Step 2: On the Menu Bar, click on Edit. (See figure 4.4-1.) From the Edit Menu, the user can cut, copy, paste, or delete the response to a question.

Step 3: Highlight the portion of the response text that needs to be edited. (See figure 4.4-2.)

Step 4: Use the appropriate edit commands from the Edit Menu to edit the text of the response.

Cut - removes the highlighted text from one document or response and places the removed text into the clipboard to be pasted into a different document or response.

Copy - makes a copy of the highlighted text and places it in the clipboard to be pasted into a different document or response.

Paste - takes previously cut or copied text from the clipboard and places the text into a different document or question.

Delete - completely removes the highlighted text from a document.

4.5: Limits on Length of Responses to Open-ended Questions

Depending in part on the user's computer hardware limitations, most users will probably be able to save as much as 35,000 to 40,000 bytes of information in the response box for one question, for one respondent (i.e., a text passage roughly equivalent to a WordPerfect® 6.1 file containing 8 to 10 single-spaced pages). However, long responses for a single question are cumbersome during subsequent coding and analysis. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that users enter smaller response segments into a response box for a specific question. If necessary, multiple templates can be created for managing complex, open-ended questions that have subtopics. Based on experience with EZ-Text, response segments equivalent to half a page or less in length within a single-spaced word processor document are easiest to enter, code, and analyze.

4.6: Automatic Save and Restore Original Functions

When entering data on the Question Screen, records are automatically saved before moving to another open-ended question, or when returning to the Interview Information Screen. If a user incorrectly modifies a response, the Restore Original Command Button can be used to bring back the original text before moving to another question. However, once changes to a response have been saved, the previous text cannot be restored.

4.7 Completing Data Entry and Editing Existing Records

After completing data entry for the first open-ended question, the user can move to the next question by clicking on the Previous Question, Next Question, and Goto Question Command Buttons at the bottom of the screen. Data entry for the Interview Information fields and the other open-ended questions is repeated until all the information has been entered for all the respondents. Users can edit, add, or delete records as needed, except the Respondent ID Number in the Interview Information Screen.

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