introduction to Epidata software

1. HOW TO CREATE
“QES, REC AND
CHECK” FILE
IN
EPI-DATABY: SADAT MOHAMMED (MPH/RH/BSc)
E.MAIL-sadatmom@gmail.com

2. Step 1. CREATE “QES” file
A. Create new folder in your computer so that all epi-data
documents you are going to create are put together.
B. Open EPI-DATA software
C. Click on “Define data” from epi-data window
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 2

3. QES…CON’T…
D. Select “New .QES file” from Define data options
E. Start by writing your project name in “New. QES file”
window
F. Type “ variable name” first , followed by “Field label” then
“Define type of variable”
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 3

4. Variable name and field label
The first word you type are considered as “variable name”
Then the list of full meaning of your variable name are
“field label”
Eg. IDNo ----- (variable name)
Identification number of the participants --- (field
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 4

5. Define type of variable
Using “field pick list” menu from epi-data we can decide
weather our variable are
1. Numeric
2. Text
3. Date
4. other (Auto id number)3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 5

6. To make “ID number” to be assigned
automatically
• From “Field pick list” menu select “Other” then select “Auto
ID number”, put the number of field length (1,2,3…) then
click “Insert”
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7. To insert date type of variable
From “Field pick list menu” click on “Date” , select the
date formats you want to use then click “Insert”.
1. DD/MM/YYYY--- 12/03/2018 ---Standard date format
2. MM/DD/YYYY---03/12/2018
3. YYYY/MM/DD ---2018/03/12
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 7

8. Numeric type of variable
• We use it for variables {other than ID ,Text and Date
variables} which we insert our data using NUMBER .
• Eg 1 = Yes (for “Yes” response we insert “1”)
2 = No (For “No” type response we insert “2”)
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 8

9. Create numeric type of variable using two
ways
1. Using “FIELD PICK LIST” MENU from epi data window
 From “Field pick list menu” click on “Numeric” then decide the number of
digits before and after decimal points.
Eg. If we want no digits after decimal points we make digits after decimal
points as= “0”
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 9

10. CON’T…
And we make before decimal points based on our interest,
(that is based on our sample size).
For example----- if our sample size is 100, we make it 3. i.e
field length is 3 (# # #), for 50 sample, we make it as “2”, i.e
the field length is 2 (# #).
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 10

11. Second method to define Numeric
type of variables
2. Using short cuts
Click shift+# on your computer
E.g for 200 we type as (shift 3x i.e ###)
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 11

12. After finish “QES”file “align fields”
• To make our data entry form more attractive need to align
fields
• Select “EDIT” Menu from epi-data, click “Align fields”
N.B. first click on the variable with long variable label.3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 12

13. Step 2. CREATE “REC” FILE
First save our “QES file” on the folder we create before and
label it.
Second click “Make data file” at epi-data menu, then select
“Make data file”3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 13

14. Step 3. Create “CHECK
FILE”
In this part we Set rules and commands for our
data
1. Define range and legal values for continuous
type of variables (e.g. age, income…). This
help us to avoid data entry errors, only legal
values are accepted, if error occurred it
show warning message.
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 14

15. CHECK…CON’T…
2. Set “MUST ENTER & REPEAT” commands
We will not pass any fields without entering data if we set
“Must enter commands”
3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 15

16. CHECK…CON’T…
3. “SHOW” & “TYPE COMMENT” COMMANDS
This commands help us during data entry by showing us list
of responses to chose among the lists and type entered
response for each respondents.
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17. CHECK…CON’T…
4. Define variable labels for “categorical type of variables”
(1=male, 2= Female). N.B. IF the categorical variable is made
of two words it must put under double quotation.
e.g. marital status---1. “never married”--- Two words
2. separated… one word, so no
quotation3/27/2018 by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 17

18. Cont’d…
5. Set “SKIP” Commands (IF the answer for question “A” is “No” then
skip question number “B” and go to question number “C”).
Select the question where this commands setted, then Click on
“edit” in check file, then click enter and type the followings :-
AFTER ENTRY
IF A <> 1 THEN
GOTO C
ENDIF
• <> This sign is read as “other than” 3/27/2018by : sadat mohammed (MPH/RH,BSC in PH) 18

19. Step 4. EXPORT “EPI-DATA” FILE
TO SPSS
 Open your epi-data file, select “Export data” from epi-data window,
select SPSS, click ok
 Second select and open spss data file from folder where your epidata
qes ,rec and check files found together under the same folder.
 Third from opened spss window click on “RUN” and select “run all”
 Fourth save the new exported spss data.
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20. •THANK YOU ALL
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