EpiData is a free Windows program for creating data entry forms and entering data. It allows users to build questionnaires, create data entry forms, enter data, and check the validity and quality of data. The key components of an EpiData project include the QUES file which defines the structure of the database, the REC file which contains the entered data, and the CHK file which is used to check the data for errors as it is entered. EpiData provides various tools for checking data quality such as setting value ranges, requiring fields, and comparing double entered data.

1. EPI DATA SOFTWARE
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2. EpiData
• EpiData is a Windows program for creating
data entry forms and entering data.
• It can be downloaded free of charge from
http://www.epidata.dk/ .
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3. Epi data software : installation and
other preparation steps
Are data entry error is common?
What proportion of error is acceptable?
Remember GIGO
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4. How to install
• Go to internet . Enter www.epidata.dk
• Go to download /epi data entry/ set up extension
• save or run the set up
 If there is no internet go to your folder
 look for the.exe files in your folder
 Then right click send to desktop/create
short cut/ then pin to task bar
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5. Help in epi data not working
• Help content
window help and
support click
on Microsoft help and
support winhlp32
for window 7
• Continue the process
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6. Why we use epi data
• Not many tools are available for data entry
Epi info, epi data and CSPro(for large data eg
data census)
• Compatible to any window
• Small (epi info 6 =3.89 MB,epi info 7=64.4 MB,epi
data=2.84
• Speedy installation
• Sufficient – for data quality assurance through
the CHK file and double entry validation
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7. The EpiData interface
When you start EpiData, at the top of the screen
you will see the:
• Menu bar: all EpiData commands are available
from this menu.
• Workflow toolbar with the most essential
commands in logical order.
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8. Epidata inter…
• Toolbar with common commands such as
create/open/save file, print, etc. (the“editor
toolbar”)
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9. total Epi data window
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10. How to set EpiData options before
starting a questionnaire
• File option
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13. • Click the Options selection, you will get
Options window
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15. • Lets see create data file and advanced
File ----option------Create data file-------
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18. • Then you click the OK button. So you will be
back to EpiData main screen.
• EpiData will save the new options
automatically, so you do not need to save your
changes.
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19. Over view of epidata entry
1. Data documentation sheet
2. QUES file
3. REC file
4. CHK file
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20. 1. Data documentation sheet
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21. Field name field label Field
type
Fiel
d
leng
th
Field
value
Value labels Othe
r
requ
irme
nts
Id Participants Id integer 4 1-1000
sex Participants sex boolean 1 1
2
9
Male
Female
Don’t recorded
Must
ente
r
age Participants age integer 2 20-65
fmariage Date of first
marriage
date 10 01/01-
2000-
01/01/
2016
support Mgt support IPP integer 1 1
2
9
Yes
No
Don’t know
how How they support integer 1 1
2
3
4
Allocating budget
requriting
personnel
Providing
materials
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22. Field name
• Field name= variable name
• Unique, intuitive and single word
• No space
• No Punctuation or underscore
• Not more than 10 letters
• Examples of good fieldname age=age of the
participant(intuitive)
• Field label= full name of the variable
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23. Tips in assigning field name
• Choose names intuitively
• Use lowercase always
• Do not start variable name with a number(1v
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24. Field type
Three field types
• Text field= letters or combination
• Numeric= field allow calculation (integer and
float)
• Date fields=dd/mm/yy or mm/dd/yy or
• Boolean/logic field= yes/no,dead/alive
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25. Field length
• It is the number of the characters that the
value of the field take
• Maximum of 80 characters
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26. Field value
The possible values that the variable can
take
eg age =20-60…..
date =22/09/2016-22/06/2017
Sex= 1,2,9
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27. value labels
• Applicable only for categorical variables
• Actual names of the value=0 no and 1 yes
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28. Key unique
• The most important variable
• Every data base should have unique identifier
• The unique identifier is usually a number
assigned by the researcher
• Eg. Patient card number
• In EpiData, this can be done using check files
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29. Data structure
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30. Structure of data base
• Variables – a series of field
• Case/record= complete questionnaire for
each individual
• File= a set of records in the study
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31. 2. Components of data base
Cores of epidata base
• Ques file
• REC
• CHK
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32. QUES file
• Questionnaire file
• The structure of data base (what are the
variables, names of the variable, definition of
variable(numeric,text..
• Layout of the data entry
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33. 2.1. How to start a questionnaire
• Now EpiData is ready to start building your
new questionnaire!
• Click Define Data button, you will get a sub
list with two options
• Click New .QES file option to start-up new
questionnaire sheet.
• You will get a blank sheet,
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35. • Write the tex or copy from the other
• then use edit field pick list
• Use align --- first click on the longest text then
edit align field
• You can repeat twice or more
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37. View
• Click preview data form from edit bar
• To close it ctr + f4
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38. View
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39. Creat data file (REC file)
• Create a data (.REC) file by:
• selecting New File from the Data menu in the
main screen, or by
• clicking the Make Data File button in the
work process toolbar, or by
• selecting Make Data File in the Data File
menu in the editor
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41. REC
• The data (.REC) file will, by default, have the
same name as the questionnaire (.QES) file by
default
• but with the extension .REC instead of .QES.
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43. CHK files
• Check file
• It is the brain of epidata
• The smartest thing of epidata
• Steps CHKS select REC file
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44. CHK…
• The simplest way of using EpiData is:
• create a questionnaire (.QES) file to describe the layout of
the questionnaire
• create a data (.REC) file from the questionnaire (.QES file)
and
• enter data in the data (.REC) file.
• This will work perfectly well.
• Rather than checking the data after all data has been
entered,
• it may be useful to check the validity of the data during the
data entry process.
• Using a check file makes this possible.
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45. CHK
• A check file describes ways of checking the
validity of the entered data for one, several, or all
of the entry fields.
• The check file can also contain commands to
control the flow of data entry (e.g. automatic
jumps from one entry field to another field based
on the data entered).
• A check file must have the same name as the
data file but with the extension .CHK instead of
.REC.
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46. CHK..
A check file is usually created after creating a
data file. The check file may be created in
two ways:
1) By using Add / Revise found on the Checks
menu, or
2) by clicking the third button on the work
process toolbar. This method can be used to
specify or change checks for the fields, but
blocks
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47. CHK
 The most basic check commands can easily be
programmed using the Checks / Add / Revise function.
 This includes
• range checking
specification of legal values
• making a field required, making
conditional jumps between fields
• making a field the value of the previous record and
using value labels.
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48. CHK……
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49. Two ways of manipulating cheek
commands
• Menu base manipulation
• Go to Edit
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50. Types of check available in EpiData
1. Unique
2. Must enter
3. Range/legal
4. Jumps
5. Value Labels
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51. unique
 Each record must have a unique value for this
field. This check is often used for
identification fields
 No data base is available without unique
identifiers
 No two records can have the same serial
number
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52. Unique cont…
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53. CHK conti…
 If the data form has the focus the following key-
combinations will give the focus to one of the
validation rules:
 Press [Ctrl] + [L] to change the current field's range
and/or legal values
 Press [Ctrl] + [J] to change Jumps
 Press [Ctrl] + [E] to toggle the current field's Must
Enter status
 Press [Ctrl] + [R] to toggle the current field's Repeat
status
 Press [Ctrl] + [A] to change the current field's value
labels
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54. Range / Legal
• A range is defined by typing the minimum value and the
maximum value separated by a hyphen.
• Typing 2-5 defines that only the numbers 2,3,4 or 5 can be
entered in the current field.
• If only a maximum value is wanted then use -INF (minus
infinity) as the minimum value.
• If only a minimum value is wanted then use INF (infinity) as
the maximum value. Typing -INF-5 defines all numbers less
than or equal to 5 as legal entries in the current field.
• Typing 0-INF defines all positive numbers as legal values
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55. Range / Legal
• Legal values are defined by typing all the accepted
values separated by spaces or commas.
• Typing 4,6,8,10 defines that only the numbers 4,6,8
or 10 can be entered in the current field.
• If both a range and legal values are defined then
the range must be entered before the legal values.
• Two range is imposible
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56. Range conti…
• Typing 20-30, 99
defines the numbers
21,22,23,24----,30
and 99 as legal
values.
• The definition 99,
20-30 will result in
an error.
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57. Label value
• Use “” if the value
label is more than
one word
• Don’t give two
double space
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58. Value label
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59. JUMP
 Jumps are used to move to different fields.
We can use two command methods
1. After entry command- is a block command
which basically tells you after a value is enter
in this particular field
2. If then and if command
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60. jump
• Go to- edit
then write
after entry
terminate
with END
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61. jump
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62. Data entry
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63. Double data entry and validation
• Three ways of reducing data entry errors
1. Use CHK file- limit number of options
2. Working together-
3. Duplicate data entry and validation
 The gold standard
 Enter data into different files and compare
the two files for discordance
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64. Double data entry
Two ways
1. Copy and Rename
data file
2. Use the menu bar
 lets see the menu bar
 Tools
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65. Double ent…
• Then click open
• Rename
C:UsersDELLDesktop
epid data course
• Then ok
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66. Double entry..
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67. Double ent…
• Validate duplicate files
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70. Editing data
• Open the “Find”
• dialogue by pressing Ctrl+F or using the
• menu Goto  Find Record.
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71. export
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73. Export cont…
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74. export
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