IASSIST Conference 2004, Workshops

All IASSIST 2004 workshops will be held on Tuesday, May 25. Registrants may sign up for a maximum of two workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Note that there are limits on the number of participants in the workshops... first come, first served!

Morning Workshops

Workshop 1: Using Atlas-ti to explore qualitative data
Libby Bishop and Louise Corti, ESDS , UK Data Archive, University of Essex
8:30am to 12:00 noon, Social Science Microcomputing Lab, Room 3218
(Limit 30 participants)

In this workshop we will present an overview of the uses and range of computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) packages. Focusing on the software Atlas-ti, through hands-on sessions and exercises, participants will be introduced to the particular applications and key functions of the software. The session is intended to be practical, intensive and aims to get participants started with the software by familiarizing them with the initial usage tools, data preparation considerations, importing data into software, 'coding' data (attaching thematic labels to segments of data), searching and retrieval of coded data, use of annotation and "memoing" tools, and exporting quantitative data. Archived qualitative data from ESDS Qualidata will be used as the data sources.

Workshops 2 and 4: IASSIST Companion Workshops -Working with the DDI

As social science researchers and archivists, we have all heard about the value and benefits that DDI markup can provide, but the actual markup process seems daunting, generating many questions. How do we get from a source document to an XML version tagged according to the DDI standard? What are the concepts we need to understand in order to make the transformation? And once we understand the process, how can we become more productive in our work?

Over the past few years, staff at ICPSR and other DDI Alliance member organizations have acquired considerable experience with the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) standard and can answer these questions. These two workshops, which can be taken separately or in sequence, will focus on (1) learning the fundamentals of DDI markup and producing an actual codebook, and (2) working with multiple document sources and converting them to DDI format in the most expeditious way.

Workshop 2: DDI 101: Codebook Creation for Beginners

William (Bill) Block, University of Minnesota
8:30am to 12:00 noon, Pyle Center Lab, Room 205
(Limit 40 participants)

This workshop will provide a brief introduction to DDI and XML (for example, what elements and attributes are, and the most important DDI elements for beginners) and then move on to a hands-on exercise in which participants create DDI codebooks from actual documents they have brought from their local settings. The bulk of the session will be hands-on entry by participants, resulting in a DDI-compliant file. Freely-roaming instructors will be available throughout the workshop for questions and advice. The emphasis of the workshop is on applying the DDI to participants' work-related documents.

For this session, participants should bring a codebook file in MSWord or ASCII on a CD, iomega zip (100 or 250) or USB flash drive.

Workshop 4: DDI 501: Increasing Proficiency and Efficiency with DDI - see afternoon workshops

Workshop 3: Using Streaming Geospatial Data Sources
Steve Morris, North Carolina State University
8:30am - 12:00 noon, Cartographic Laboratory (Science Hall), Room M390
(Limit 20 participants)

In the past few years new streaming geospatial data sources have become available, allowing users and their applications to interact with remote geospatial data resources and services without actually downloading the data. These services are based on proprietary technologies such as ESRI's 'image server' and 'feature server' as well on open technologies such as the Open GIS Consortium WMS ('Web Map Service') and WFS ('Web Feature Service') specifications. This workshop will focus on consumption of such data sources and services, with an eye to integrating these new resources with more traditional file-based data offerings.

Topics to be addressed include: demystifying the alphabet soup of WMS, WFS, WCS, GML, etc.; identifying and evaluating some existing streaming data sources; discussing the advantages and pitfalls of using streaming data in project work and research; and highlighting challenges related to integration of streaming data with traditional file-based data in catalogs and metadata databases.

The discussion will include hands-on examination of some existing streaming geospatial data services. While the workshop will primarily focus on consumption of such services, a brief overview of approaches to publishing streaming data will also be provided. Also to be considered is the challenge posed to data preservation by the elimination of data file acquisition as a necessary precursor to providing data access.

Afternoon Workshops

Workshop 2: DDI 101: Codebook Creation for Beginners - see morning workshops
Workshop 4: DDI 501: Increasing Proficiency and Efficiency with DDI

Sanda Ionescu and I-Lin Kuo, ICPSR, University of Michigan
1:30pm to 5:00pm, Pyle Center Lab, Room 209
(Limit 40 participants)

In this follow-up workshop, participants will learn about transformations from document sources such as PDF, Word, Excel, SAS/SPSS syntax files, and SAS/SPSS export and system files and will have an opportunity to perform document conversions themselves. Issues of display through different stylesheets, markup tools, and repurposing of text will also be addressed, with useful examples. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring their questions about markup and to share the challenges they face with respect to markup in their own environments.

Individuals with a working knowledge of DDI should feel free to elect DDI 501 without taking the introductory workshop.

Workshop 5: STATA, SPSS, and SAS: Flavors of Statistical Software
Michelle Edwards, University of Guelph
1:30pm - 5:00pm, Social Science Microcomputing Lab, Room 3218
(Limit 30 participants)

So many different flavors to choose from - how will we ever choose? Are they all the same? Do they have the same functionality? Which one should I use? Which is the quickest to learn? Questions many of us have encountered in one form or another.

This workshop will take you on a quick tour of Stata, SPSS, and SAS. We will examine a data file using each package. Is one more user-friendly than the others? Are there significant differences in the codebooks created? We will also look at creating a frequency and cross-tabulation table in each. Which output screen is easiest to read and interpret? The goal of this workshop is to give you an overview of these products and provide you with the information you need to determine which package fits the requirements of you and your user.

Please bring your experiences and/or horror stories about working with statistical software to this workshop. Together we'll try to demystify the flavors of statistical software and help you decide on a favorite flavor.

Workshop 6: Creating Web Based Surveys Using MySQL and PHP
Aaron K. Shrimplin and Jen-chien Yu, Miami University of Ohio
1:30pm - 5:00pm, Cartographic Laboratory (Science Hall), Room M390
(Limit 20 participants)

Do you ever conduct surveys or help faculty or graduate students develop them? Have you found yourself wishing for tools that would simplify the collection and use of survey data? If so, this workshop is for you! "Creating web-based surveys using MySQL and PHP" is designed for data professionals and researchers who would like to use Web technologies to speed up the process of disseminating surveys and retrieving, organizing, and coding survey data.

The workshop will begin with brief demonstrations of different approaches for creating surveys in online environments. Hands-on training will then teach you how to:

script a web-based survey using PHP
create a MySQL database for storing the survey data
generate reports based on real-time data
add visual presentation to the reports
create a portable data file that can be used for statistical analysis