SDA: Projects

Projects

Complex Standard Errors
The calculation of standard errors for percentages and means in complex samples is being revised to incorporate new developments for subpopulations and for differences. Complex standard errors for regression coefficients will also be implemented in phase 2 of this project.

Charts
Charts are being added to the MEANS program and will be available in version 3.4. Charts will also be added to the regression program in version 3.5.

Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)
Many organizations are working together to arrive at a common standard for documenting data files using XML. CSM is participating in this ongoing effort and has been involved in developing tools to read and write DDI metadata files.

Subset for Recoded and Computed Variables
The subset procedure was revised in SDA 3.3, in order to allow recoded and computed variables to be included in a subset dataset. A new CSV (comma separated values) output format was added, including a header record with the names of variables, to facilitate reading the dataset into a spreadsheet.

Disclosure Specifications to Protect Confidentiality
The analysis programs were modified in SDA 3.3 to suppress output that may compromise the confidentiality of survey respondents. The analysis programs will all read a 'disclosure.txt' file (if one has been created for a study), and they will enforce the specifications included in that file.

Search
Search functionality was added to SDA 3.2. Variable-level search can be done within a single study. Both variable-level and study-level search can be done across studies.

SDA Archiver
The Archiver is a Web application (released with SDA 3.1) that facilitates the work of adding new datasets and codebooks to an SDA archive. This application could be used both by administrators of a data archive and by individuals affiliated with member institutions who would like to set up their own dataset(s) in SDA.

New User Interface
A new user interface was developed for SDA 3.0 that includes program selection, variable selection, and program option choices all on the same screen. This was a joint project of CSM and ICPSR at the University of Michigan.

Charts
Charts were added to the output of the SDA TABLES program in version 1.4. To see some examples, go to our SDA Archive page, choose a dataset, and run the crosstabulation program. Or run some Quick Tables using the GSS Cumulative Datafile.

Quick Tables
Quick Tables is a simplified interface for obtaining analysis results. This was a joint project of CSM and ICPSR at the University of Michigan. For details about how it works, see the Quick Tables Information Page. You can also try generating a few Quick Tables for the GSS Cumulative Datafile from the SDA Archive page.

"Word" Format Codebooks
SDA 1.3 introduced a method of producing codebooks in Microsoft Word format. This new output option not only produces more attractive print codebooks -- with various fonts, heading styles, etc. -- but also allows users to easily introduce extra material, such as charts and other graphics, into print codebooks. Word-format codebooks are also a useful format because they can be automatically converted into PDF format using Adobe's Acrobat software. Here's an example of a small codebook produced by SDA 1.3 in Word format. And here's the same codebook after it's been automatically converted to PDF format (using Adobe Acrobat).

Instrument Documentation (IDOC)
CSM and the U.S. Census Bureau are involved in a joint project to construct Web-browsable documentation for CAI instruments. See the IDOC Web Site for more details, examples, and updates about the latest release.

Complex Standard Errors
The calculation of standard errors for complex samples has been added to the SDA program that computes means and proportions. This was a joint project of CSM and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive at ICPSR, University of Michigan.