Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 1 II. COMPUTER SYSTEMS A. Blaise CAPI/CATI Instructions The ECA Survey s interview data will be collected using a computerized interview. An overview of this method of data collection is provided in this section, followed by detailed information on typographical conventions, CAPI system specifications, and recording answers. 1. Overview of Computer Assisted Data Collection The data for this project will be collected via computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). When an interview is administered using a CAPI system, the questions and answer categories that are usually printed on paper appear, instead, on the computer screen. Answers that are usually recorded using pencil on paper are entered into the computer by an interviewer using the computer keyboard. CAPI has several advantages over paper-and-pencil interviewing. The interviewer does not have to flip through individual pages of questions in a printed questionnaire. Some optional phrasing for questions can be automatically tailored by the computer for each interview. Staff do not have to worry about errors caused by illegible handwriting. The data do not have to be transferred later from a paper questionnaire to the computer. Skips are automatically performed by the computer system so the interviewer doesn t have to figure out which question is the next one to ask. The computer can immediately check answers for consistency so that errors can be corrected while the respondent is still available. To take advantage of the benefits of CAPI, interviewers must understand the basic features of the computer and the way it is programmed to accept information. This chapter will describe the relevant components of the computer equipment and some general instructions for using the computer. Specific instructions for using the CAPI system will be described in a later section. Each laptop has three basic pieces: the computer, the monitor, and the keyboard. The computer is the box in which all processing equipment is located. For this project, all you will need to know about the computer is how to turn the power to this unit on and off. The monitor is the display screen for the computer. It has controls to adjust the brightness, contrast, and sharpness of the picture on the screen. These controls also vary from monitor to monitor. The cursor is the symbol the computer displays on the screen to show where the information keyed in will be placed. It is represented as a blinking line on the screen. As data are entered, the computer automatically moves the cursor to the right, much like a typewriter moves space by space to the right.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 2 The keyboard is the part of the computer with which you will need to be very familiar for this project. Important keys on the keyboard are described in this section. Essential Keys All data are entered using the computer keyboard. The keyboard has two kinds of keys: the character keys, which include the letters, numbers, punctuation marks and other familiar symbols; and the function keys, which include familiar keys like the Shift key and the Tab key, and other keys with which you may be unfamiliar, such as the Arrow keys, the Delete key, and the Ctrl key. The CAPI system for this project will not require you to use every key on the keyboard, but you may have to use some of the following function keys. 1. Enter This key is your way of telling the computer to go ahead and process whatever information was just typed. For example, when answering a question like, How many visits did you make to this place in the last six months? the answer could be 1 visit or it could be 10 visits. The computer will wait for you to type in the complete answer before processing it and moving on to the next question. After pressing the 0 key, press the Enter key which informs the computer that 10 is the complete answer. The computer then processes that answer, sees that it is a valid answer to the question, and displays the next question to ask. 2. Backspace This key erases the last character that was typed. Backspace will always delete the character immediately to the left of the cursor (described below). 3. Tab If you were typing a letter on the computer, the Tab key would function much like the tab on a typewriter, but on the computer, the Tab key also performs another function. When presented with a group of options, the computer will indicate your current choice by highlighting it on the screen. The Tab key will turn this highlight on and off. When the highlight is on, you can use the Arrow keys (described below) to move the highlight from one choice to another. 4. Arrow Keys To the right of the standard keys on the keyboard, there are four keys with arrows on them, one pointing up ( ), one pointing down ( ), one pointing left ( ), and one pointing right ( ). These keys are used to move the cursor (described below) to different positions on the monitor screen. In general, the computer will automatically move from space to space as you type in answers and press the Enter key, but if you need to correct a previous response, you can use the Arrow keys to move back to a previously answered question or forward past a previously answered question. 5. Shift This key is always used in combination with another key. It is used in combination with letters to type uppercase letters and it is used in combination with other keys to type various punctuation marks and other symbols. The Shift key is used by pressing and holding down the Shift key while interviewers then press the other key they want to type. 6. Ctrl This key is called the control key and is always used in combination with another key.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 3 In this manual, keys that need to be pressed in combination with each other will be shown in the following format: key to be pressed first and held down key to be pressed second. For example, to type a capital D, interviewers will press and hold down the Shift key and then press the D key. This key combination would be written as Shift-D. The instruction Ctrl-Enter means to press and hold down the Ctrl key and then press the Enter key. Computer Thinking A computer can only understand precisely what a person has programmed it to recognize. While a person would interpret all of the following as meaning California: CA, Cal, Cal., Calif., Ca., the computer would interpret these as five different things. Therefore, punctuation marks, and even blank spaces, are important for computer entry. For example, a lower case L looks like the number 1 to a person. However, the computer interprets these two characters as two very different answers. Similarly, a zero (which shows on the monitor screen as a circle with a line through it) and the letter O are very different to the computer. Be sure that you have used the correct character when entering information into the computer. Finally, the computer is an excellent tool when operators do what it was programmed to expect and it does what they have been trained to expect. If you or the computer try to do something other than what is expected, unpredictable and sometimes troublesome results can occur. If, when working on the computer, you ever find yourself looking at a screen that is unrecognizable or completely different than what you think the computer should be displaying, press the back arrow key to return to the previous screen. As a last resort, if you cannot restore the computer, complete the interview on paper to be entered into the computer as soon as the problem is corrected. 2. Typographical Conventions Throughout the CAPI screener and questionnaire, typographical conventions have been used to help you navigate your way through the questions. These conventions are outlined below. Words in black mixed case letters are to be read aloud to the respondent. Words in blue letters are instructions to you. Words in black upper case letters are response categories that are not to be read aloud. Words in UPPER CASE or blue, whether in the introductory text, question or response, should not be read aloud to the respondent. Words in parentheses embedded in a question represent optional language, meaning it requires you to select the appropriate word or phrase to use. Highlighted or underlined words are to be emphasized when reading a question. These words focus the question, and it is important for the respondent to understand the focus before they can give an accurate answer.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 4 Lines for text responses are provided in situations where it is necessary to write down what the respondent has answered to either a specify question or an open-ended question. Many questions involving repetitive sequences are put in a format with a lead statement or a stem. Try to read the stem of a question at least twice, unless you believe the respondent has forgotten what is being asked. When reading the questions, be aware of punctuation. As you read questions, read through the colons, ellipses and commas, and stop for every question mark. 3. CAPI System Specifications This Section describes how to use the CAPI system for the ECA Survey, from logging on and bringing up the system when you turn on the computer, through conducting interviews, to exiting the system and shutting down the computer when you have completed your work. General Tips To delete text within a field, use the Backspace key to delete text to the left of the cursor and the Delete key to eliminate text to the right of the cursor. To move to a new field, press Enter. Getting Started Turn on the computer by pressing the power button. On our laptops, this usually is a round button at the top left of the keyboard, above the F2 key. You will be provided with a password for access to the desktop. After turning on the computer, you will see the desktop, a screen with icons (little pictures which serve as shortcuts to various programs). As an interviewer, the only icons you will need to access for this project are the icons labeled "ECA Interview," Code ECA, and Practice ECA. ECA Interview icon will open the Blaise instrument for the interview. Code ECA icon will open a separate Blaise instrument for additional data entry after the interview is finished. The use of the practice icon will be discussed at training. Double-click on the ECA Interview icon to access the CAPI system for this study. The next screen you will see will look like this: Type in the 6-digit case ID. Be sure to include lead zeros. Once you have typed a valid ID, you are ready to begin the survey.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 5 4. Layout of a BLAISE Screen The Blaise user screens are divided into two parts. The upper portion of the screen is the InfoPane and contains information about the current field. This screen usually consists of question text and answer categories for the current question. When the length of the question and answers will not fit on the screen, only the first answers will appear. A scroll bar will be along the left side. Use the mouse to move the bar to see the remaining answers. The lower portion of the screen is the FormPane where the answers are entered. In the form pane the cursor is positioned at the answer field for the current question, but the fields immediately before and after the current field are also displayed so that the interviewer can see responses to the surrounding questions. The interviewer reads the question from the top portion of the screen and enters the answer in the bottom portion. The Blaise menu appears at the very top of the screen and information pertinent to the current action appears at the bottom of the screen. In Blaise each question is assigned a variable name, such as A1, by which it is identified in the FormPane (lower portion of the screen). In addition to a question name, a question can also have a Search Tag which can be used to search for and jump to a question quickly. The variable names and Search Tags used in this program are the question numbers from the hardcopy, such as C17. 5. Blaise Menu The Blaise menu appears at the very top of the screen and can be accessed by positioning the cursor on the menu and clicking. For those menu options that are also accessible by a "hot-key", the hot key will appear next to the option in the menu. B. Blaise for the ECA Survey The ECA Survey s CAPI and CATI interviews are programmed using Blaise CAI software, WINDOWS Version 4.6. The Blaise software refers to each interview as a form. The following are a brief set of instructions for navigating in the interview. The CAPI program can be started by entering the respondent s ID# from the face sheet that was completed for the respondent. This will take you into the interview form. 1. Answering the Questions Each question appears in the upper portion of the screen as you proceed through the interview. The cursor will be in the lower portion of the screen in the answer field corresponding to the current question. Type your answer and press Enter to proceed to the next question. To change an answer, put the cursor in the field to be changed and type in the new answer.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 6 Enumerated Questions Many questions in the interview have a pre-defined (or enumerated) set of answers. Answer categories are shown with radio buttons. An example is below. The only answers you can enter for this question are YES(1) or NO(2). Figure 2: Enumerated Questions ( yes or no ) Numerical Questions Numerical type questions accept a range of numeric values. One characteristic of Blaise is that only one range per question is allowed. All values entered will be checked against logic specifications. If a value that doesn t conform to the specifications is entered, an error message will appear. Figure 3: Invalid Input
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 7 Open-Ended String Questions Open-ended questions are defined in the questionnaire as String questions. For these questions you will enter a response in an answer box in the form pane. Only a portion of the answer will fit on the screen, but you will be able to continue entering text until you reach the width of the answer space. The text will scroll to the left. Other Specify Questions If you select OTHER as the response to an Enumerated or Code All That Apply question, a new question will appear, prompting you to enter the OTHER, SPECIFY response. This new question will be a String type. Figure 4: Specify Answer Important Note: Blaise for Windows allows space bar entries/blank entries in a text field and will proceed to the next field. Blaise accepts the blanks as responses even though there is no real data in the field. The way to prevent this is to have the program check for even a single blank at the beginning of the field. Blaise will not make this check until the <ENTER> key is pressed, so it will be necessary for the interviewers to go back to the field in question and re-type the text. They can also return to the field, make sure it is not highlighted, and delete the blanks from the beginning of the field.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 8 Code All That Apply Questions Code All That Apply questions are noted as such in the question text. Answer categories are shown with checkboxes. Hyphens should be used to separate the responses. The order of the responses does not matter. An example of such a question is displayed below. Figure 5: Code All That Apply Inserting Notes, Remarks, Comments You can insert a remark of any practical length at any field in the questionnaire by pressing Ctrl-M or selecting Answer, then Make Remark from the Menu (see screen below). A remark window pops up. After you finish the remark, press the Save button to exit the remark window. A paperclip will appear in the FormPane next to the field where the remark was inserted. Figure 6a: Make Remark Menu Item Figure 6b: Make Remark Popup Window
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 9 Empty Questions-Press <Enter> To Continue Throughout this questionnaire there are introductory script screens or other screens containing information not requiring an answer. These screens instruct you to PRESS <ENTER> TO CONTINUE. It does not matter if you accidentally type an answer for one of these empty questions. Figure 7: Empty Question Consistency/Range Checks Throughout the questionnaire there are checks for valid ranges and consistency between responses. Violation of these checks causes an Error Window to pop up. There are two types of errors: hard errors and soft errors. If an error has been defined as hard, you must change the answer to move past the question. The programmers try to limit these hard checks to responses that are impossible--such as an age past the subject s current age or a year past the current year. A soft error is triggered by a response that is improbable but not impossible. For a soft error, you may suppress the error message and keep the answer as is or you may change the response.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 10 An Error Window will list the questions involved in the check. Use the arrow keys to highlight the question that you wish to change, then click on the Go to button to return to that question. If it is a soft error and you wish to keep the current answer, click on the Suppress button (in Figure 10 the Suppress key is not active). Figure 8: Hard or Soft Error Form BREAKING OFF AN INTERVIEW There are many reasons that an interviewer might need to break-off an interview The following procedure is what you will use for a break-off. Select the Partial tab and follow the instructions on the screen. Figure 8b: Partial Tab
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 11 EXITING AN INTERVIEW After the last question is answered, a screen to end the interview will appear. When you type 1 and press Enter, the current case will be finished. If you need to review any response, please do so before exiting the interview. Once you exit the interview you should close Blaise and shut down the laptop. Figure 9: End Questionnaire Form MENU OPTIONS This section describes the options available on the Interviewer Menu at the top of the screen. Depending on the study and the design of the interview instrument, the menu will vary with each CATI survey. The following common menu options discussed here are: Answer and Navigate.
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 12 Answer: The Answer menu contains three main options: Don t Know, Refuse, and Make Remark. Answer Menu Bar Descriptions Don t Know CTRL-K or 98 Refuse CTRL-R or 97 Make Remark CTRL-M Select to indicate that the respondent does not know the answer to the question asked. Select to indicate that the respondent has refused to answer the question asked. Select to indicate that the respondent has specific or additional information relevant to the answer given. Figure 10: Answer Menu Window
Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study Training Manual Page II - 13 Navigate The Navigate menu contains several main options but we will discuss only those that are appropriate to use for this study. Navigate Menu Bar Descriptions Search tag SHFT-F9 Show All Remarks Select to go to a particular question by typing in its search tag. Shows all remarks within the given form Next page Previous page First page Last page Select to move to the next screen (based on the bottom half of the screen)--can only be used if the next screen already has at least one answered question. Select to move to the previous screen (based on the bottom half of the screen). Select to move to the first screen. Select to move to the last screen with at least one question answered. Figure 11: Navigate Menu Window