Supported data formats

UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation uses the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model to access the underlying data, which can be, for example, a .sav file, a Quanvert database, a relational UNICOM Intelligence database storing UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin data, Quancept data stored in .qdi and .drs files, and so on.

The UNICOM Intelligence Data Model handles case data (which stores the actual responses) and metadata (which describes the case data and stores the question and category texts, and so on) separately. UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation requires a metadata source as well as a case data source. The metadata source can be a UNICOM Intelligence Metadata Document (.mdd) file or any other metadata format for which a suitable read-enabled Metadata Source Component (MDSC) is available. The case data can be in any format for which a suitable read-enabled Case Data Source Component (CDSC) is available.

▪Using a hierarchical view (sometimes called HDATA)

▪Using a flat view (sometimes called VDATA).

By default, UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation uses the hierarchical view when the CDSC you are using to access the case data supports the hierarchical view. From version 3.5, it also uses the hierarchical view for DSCs that do not support the hierarchical view, provided that a metadata file is available. This means that you can tabulate data from the following CDSCs using the hierarchical view of the data:

▪Relational MR CDSC (RDB DSC 2)

▪IBM SPSS Statistics SAV DSC

▪create grid tables.

▪use variables that are nested inside a loop or grid in your tables.

▪choose the level at which your tables are to be populated.

UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation automatically uses the flat view when the CDSC you are using to access the case data does not support the hierarchical view and no metadata is available. When the flat view is being used: You cannot create grid tables or use the variables that are nested inside a loop or grid in your tables. However, you can use a slice of a grid or loop in a table. There is only one level, and so you do not need to choose the level at which your tables are to be populated.

▪You can tell which view is being used, because UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation displays "Hierarchical" or "Flat" next to the project name in the top right corner of the main screen.

▪When analyzing .sav file data that was created by exporting UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin data, it is always preferable to access the .sav file data in UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation using the .mdd file that was used for the export. This means that the variables you see in UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation match the UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin variables and are therefore easier to understand. For example, several variables may be created in the .sav file for a single UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin text variable, but when you access the .sav file in UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation using the .mdd file, these variables are recombined and presented as one variable.

▪For an introduction to the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model, see UNICOM Intelligence Data Model. For more detailed information about the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model and how it interprets data in the various formats, see the UNICOM Intelligence Developer Documentation Library.