Mass testing data instructions
Submitting a scale to Mass Testing (MT) will automatically sign you up for the Research Experiences Group's (REG) Mass Testing data list. If you have not submitted a scale but wish to receive Mass Testing (MT) Data, then you must send an email to the REG Coordinator, confirming ethical clearance to obtain the scale data from the Mass Testing survey, and request to be added to the REG SharePoint site to view the MT data.
Mass Testing data will be uploaded to the REG-Sona Sharepoint site once per week while the survey is active (approximately the first 8 weeks of the term). The .sav file will contain both MT and PreScreen data. The PreScreen data columns will appear at the end of the spreadsheet columns.
This file can then be uploaded to SPSS. When performing the import (the file will be tab-delimited), you can refer to your abbreviated question name at the top of the columns to select which columns you want to import. Note that the columns are ordered in the same order as the questions in the answer key, so this should help to be able to find your questions.
If the variable (abbreviated question) name is "illegal" according to SPSS (e.g., starts with a number) then an @ symbol may be added to the beginning of the variable name.
Don't forget that if you hold down shift when you click the first unnecessary column, you can scroll over to the last column you don't need, click on it and have the all the columns in between highlighted. When you choose the "do not import" option above, it will apply to all highlighted columns so you don't have to click it constantly.
Wishlist instructions
Instructions on how to pre-select participants using a “wishlist”:
- Using prescreen data:
- Normally, you don’t need the PS portion of the MT&PS data for this. Whether the study is new or continuing from last term, just use the Prescreen Restrictions [View/Modify Restrictions] feature on your study’s SONA information.
- Sometimes you need the PS portion to create a wishlist: i) You need to select based on a Free-Entry question; and/or ii) You need to compute a score using 2 or more other responses (e.g., Body Mass Index computed using Prescreen height and weight).
- using *Mass Testing Data*
- Score your participants on the MT Scale(s) you are using
- Create a wishlist entitled “Wishlist for ”
- 2 fields:
- Participant Sona ID Code (id_code) eg 105678
- Qualification code (0 or 1)
- “0” if participant does not qualify for study (optional code)
- “1” if participant qualifies for study (required code)
- Fields 1 and 2: separated by a single space
- Fields 2: followed by a Return (*NO trailing spaces)
- Do not include headers, comments, etc.
- Preferred format: Text file (in Notepad)
- Alternative format: Excel file
- *But* both fields must be in a single column (must not be in 2 different columns)
- See tip below on how to do this in Excel
- 2 fields:
- E-mail your wishlist as an attachment to regadmin@uwaterloo.ca
- Subject line = “Wishlist for ” (*exactly as it appears on Sona*)
- The REG Coordinator will set up your study to accept the wishlist and will upload it for you.
One method to get 2 fields in one column in Excel:
- start with a column containing id_code (Sona IDs)
- to add 1 or 0 followed by one space to the right of the id_code:
- highlight all the cells that need a "1" [or "0"] added
- right click
- select format cells
- Number Tab
- Category: Custom
- Type
- to add a space and a "1", enter 0 1
- to add aspace and a "0", enter 0 "0" (quotes required)
- Type
- Category: Custom
Once you have created your wishlist, and the REG Coordinator has uploaded it, you may invite qualified participants to sign up for your study.