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You can also set the scheduled data upload (Pro only), to predefine the settings and preset the time for the import.
Data format requirements
The common structure of the data file you will be importing consists of data and metadata. In case of .sav (SPSS) file you will have two tabs – ‘Data View’ and ‘Variable View.’ The Data View contains the actual values, while the Variable View tab contains metadata, name, type, label of your variables, and other details. Metadata itself is the information about the structures that contain the actual data.
Variable names can be alphanumeric but should start with at least one letter (otherwise exporting to SPSS won't work). The length of the variable name/question code is now limited to 50 characters without the multi-choice separator and ID.
The label for the variable will be used as question text by the system. It can be changed in the system, but as default, the imported label is what the reported output will be. Therefore it can be useful to remove interview instructions and to make sure that the label text is short and informative. The question text cannot be longer than 80 characters so if the label is longer than that it will be cut.
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The values for the variable will be used as answer text by the system. They can be changed in the system, but as default, the imported value labels are what the reported output will be. Therefore it can be useful to keep the value labels short and informative. An answer text cannot be longer than 50 characters so if the label is longer than that it will be cut. There cannot be any duplicate value labels within a value label list.
All codes for a variable that have value labels (i.e. not an open numeric variable) must have a corresponding value label. For example, if you have a scale of question 1-10 there must be a label for each code. There cannot be any duplicate value labels within a value label list.
The maximum length of the question code is limited to 50
The upper limit for the answer value is 2147483647. Any value up to, including 2147483647, will work as an answer code.
Mandatory fields
When using detailed, import process, you need to select the import options. Prior to that your file must have three columns: Respondent ID, Date, and Weight. Each of the columns contain case data for each respondent. In case the file you are importing doesn’t have these variables you can use Forsta Visualizations to add these or assign existing to act as these, using metadata transformation. Here is an overview why is it important to have these variables in the file:
Respondent ID – Each imported case (respondent) must have a unique ID number. This ID must be in numeric format and have a maximum width of 14 characters. Decimals are not accepted. The variable name should be “RespondentID.”
Response Date – Each imported case (respondent) must have a date. Normally, this is the interview date, but it can be any date. In the .sav file, this variable needs to be in a date format. The variable name should be “ResponseDate.”
Weight – Each imported case (respondent) must have a weight. If the data is not weighted, set the value to “1” for each case. The weight must be in numeric format and have a maximum of 10 decimals. The variable name should be “Weight.”
Your file may have a large respondents base, and quite many variables. Forsta Visualizations has a file size limit of 200 MB (unzipped size is being used as the limit). We recommend smaller files, since they can be uploaded in batches. This will also make it easier to identify a specific batch when you are looking for information within your data file. In case where the data files are larger than 200 MB, we suggest separating those into multiple files. As for the number of data points, the limit is 100,000,000 data points per one project. The maximum number of variables is 5,000, and the maximum number of answers (respondents * variables) per project is 100,000,000. The limitation within a project (sum of all uploaded data files), is 100 million cells (number of variables x number of respondents). In case your data file is larger than 200 MB, please contact support to discuss what's the best solution for you and your project.
Variable types
Following variable types can be imported to Forsta Visualizations:
Note: the code 999 is not used in calculations by the system, so don't use this code for any answer alternative you want to be part of the base. 999 is always excluded and all answers with 999 will be always excluded.