Each element entered into Archivist must have a unique label as part of its entry. Generally this is made up of a prefix, which refers to the type of element (loop, statement, etc) and a question reference which is made up from the question number in the questionnaire. Exceptions to this construction are outlined in tables below. The question reference part of the label may include underscores between the parts of the question number, or the question reference may be collapsed. See ‘Question ref collapsed?’ column in the tables below for guidance as to when to collapse the question reference.
Sequences
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
None | N/A | - Sequences do not have a constructed reference. The sequence label is the exact text of the sequence as found in the questionnaire. Capitalisation, punctuation and spacing should be included exactly as found in the questionnaire. Underlining, bold and italics are not included.
| SECTION G: YOUR DIET Your feelings in the past week Section 1 Child’s Behaviour DEVELOPMENT. 1: ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE |
Loops
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
l_
| Yes
| - Loop labels reference the first construct contained in the loop, e.g. a question or a sequence.
- If the label references a question, the question numbering is collapsed, i.e. underscores are not input between the components that make up the question reference portion of the label.
| l_qF3b l_friends |
Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the loop label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| l_qB1 l_s1q1 l_qhealth1 |
Conditions
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
c_
| Yes
| - Condition labels are numbered from the question that gives rise to the condition. This question is often, but not always, the question immediately above the condition text in the questionnaire.
- The question reference in the label is collapsed, i.e. underscores are not input between the components that make up the question reference portion of the label.
- If the condition arises from more than one question, the label is numbered from the first question that creates the condition.
- If there is no question to reference for the condition, then the condition label numbering uses the question number for the first question that is dependent on the condition.
| c_qG3a c_q14c c_q11d |
- Labels when one question generates multiple conditions: If there is more than one condition arising from a question, lower case roman numerals, preceded by an underscore, are added to the condition labels.
| c_qB11a_i c_qB11a_ii |
- Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the condition label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| c_qB1 c_s1q6 c_s1q6c c_qhealth1 One question generates multiple conditions: c_s1q2_i c_s1q2_ii |
Statements
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
s_
| Yes
| - Statements may be relevant to an entire questionnaire (e.g. part of a questionnaire’s introductory or concluding material), a sequence or a question.
- Statement labels are numbered in relation to what the statement refers to. Introductory (intro), concluding (outro) and sequence related statements always have lower case roman numeral numbering added to the end of the statement label, even if there is only one statement associated with the introductory, concluding or sequence material.
| s_intro_i s_sectionB_i (Sequence) s_socialenvironment_i (Sequence) s_environmentofchild_i (Sequence)
|
- Labels for a single statement associated with a question only reference the question number.
- Roman numerals are added to the end of question related statements if there is more than one statement associated with a question.
| Single statement for a question: s_qG3a s_q14d Multiple statements for a question: s_q18_i (1st statement q 18) s_q18_ii (2nd statement q 18) |
- Introductory or concluding statements: For statements that are part of the introduction or conclusion of a questionnaire, the statement label contains the word intro or outro, plus a lower case roman numeral. See examples .
| s_intro_i s_outro_i |
- Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the statement label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| s_qB1 s_s1q3 s_s1q9a s_qhealth1 Multiple statements for a question: s_s2q18_i (1st statement q 2.18) s_s2q18_ii (2nd statement q 2.18) |
Question Constructs
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
qc_ | No | - Question Construct label numbering mirrors the numbering for the related question item or question grid, but with 'qc' as the prefix instead of 'qi'.
| qc_9 qc_G3_a |
Question Items
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
qi_
| No
| - Question Item labels reference the question number in the questionnaire. The question number is not collapsed in the label - the parts of the question number are input with underscores between each part.
| qi_9 qi_G3_a |
- Unnumbered introductory or concluding questions: For unnumbered questions that are part of the introduction or conclusion of a questionnaire, the question item/grid/construct label contains the word intro or outro, plus a lower case roman numeral. See examples .
| qi_intro_i qi_outro_i |
- Unnumbered sub-questions: If the unnumbered question is a sub-question of a numbered question, the label is made up of the main question number plus a lower case roman numeral to number the sub-question. If the main question ends in a roman numeral, then a lower case letter may be added to the end of the label to number the sub-question. See example.
| qi_G3_a_i qi_4_i_a |
Unnumbered question same level as preceding question: If an unnumbered question is at the same level as the preceding numbered question, then the next logical identifier is added to the end of the question label, e.g. if the preceding numbered question is B6_w, then the label for the following unnumbered question would be B6_x. Add example ncds_81_i
|
|
- Unnumbered question without preceding question reference: If the unnumbered question stands alone within the body of the questionnaire, the label is constructed using a reference to the section of the questionnaire containing the question, plus a lower case roman numeral to number the question. The reference to the section name in the label should be all lower case, regardless of what case the section name has in the questionnaire. Exception to this is when section has a letter designation. If this is upper case then it should also be upper case in the label. See examples.
| qi_sectionA_i qi_employment_i |
- Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the question label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number portion of the label. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question number. Further guidance is available here.
| qi_B1 qi_s1_9 qi_s1_4_i qi_ s4_a_i qi_s4_a_i_a qi_health_1
|
Question Grids
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
qg_
| No
| - Question Grid labels reference the question number in the questionnaire. The question number is not collapsed in the label - the parts of the question number are input with underscores between each part.
| qg_9_i_b_i |
- If a grid contains a single column on the X axis, and the Y axis is made up of a range of questions, then the Y axis range is added to the end of the question grid label. The range may contain letters or numbers. If it is unnumbered in the questionnaire, no range is added. See Examples.
| qg_B1_a-w |
- If a grid contains multiple columns on the X axis, then the question grid label generally only references the main question. Ranges are added if they are necessary to make the question grid label unique and/or a logical continuation. See Example.
| qg_G2_a |
- Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the question label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number portion of the label. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question number. Further guidance is available here.
| qg_B1 qg_s1_9_a qg_health_1 |
Code Lists
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
cs_
| No
| - Code lists are used to create answers for single questions, the same answers used for multiple questions, and column and row headings for the X and Y axes in grids. The Code List label varies depending on what type of code list is being created.
|
|
- Code List answer for single question: The label references the question number in the questionnaire. The question number is not collapsed in the ID - the parts of the question number are input with underscores between each part.
| cs_qG3_a cs_q9_i |
- Code list answer for multiple questions: The label references the categories that make up the code list. The first letter of each word in each category is used in the label. Letters are case sensitive. Categories in the code list are separated by an underscore. For example, the label for a code list containing the categories Always, Sometimes, Rarely, Never would be cs_A_S_R_N. The label for a code list containing the categories Not at all, Only a little, Quite a lot, and A great deal would be cs_Naa_Oal_Qal_Agd.
| cs_A_S_R_N cs_Naa_Oal_Qal_Agd |
- For code lists containing Yes or No, the whole word is used in the code list, e.g. the label for a code list containing the categories Yes and No would be cs_Yes_No; the label for a code list with categories Yes, No, Not known would be cs_Yes_No_Nk.
| cs_Yes_No cs_Yes_No_NK |
- Code lists for labelling grid axes: The label references the main question number in the questionnaire and the axis the code list creates. The axis range IS NOT referenced in the code list label unless it is necessary to make the code list label unique and/or a logical continuation. Further quidance is available here. See Examples.
| cs_qB3_b_X cs_qB3_b_Y cs_qF46_b-d_X (Unique/logical continuation) cs_qF46_b-d_Y (Unique/logical continuation) |
- When a grid contains one unlabelled column on the X axis, the code list for the X axis is labelled cs_dash and contains one category ‘-‘. See Example.
| cs_dash (Single unlabelled X axis column) |
- Code list for grid axis when grid has upper left corner label: In order for a left corner label to be added to a grid, the label for the code list related to the corner label is created using the exact wording of the left corner label in the questionnaire. The cs_ prefix IS NOT included in the label. Examples: In the last month:, Skin Prick Test (av diameter).
- If the left corner label occurs more than once in a questionnaire, add the main question number to the ID to make it unique, e.g. ‘A2 In the last month:’; ‘A4 In the last month:’.
| In the last month: Skin Prick Test (av diameter) |
- Code list for unnumbered intro or outro question: The code list label references the label used for the question item.
| cs_qintro_i cs_qoutro_i |
- Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the code list label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| cs_qB1 cs_s1_q6_b cs_s1_q9 cs_qhealth_1 Code list grid Y-axis: cs_s1_q9_a_Y |