Transcript Using DAS Online for Research

An Introduction to
Using DAS Online for
Institutional Research
Dr Daina Paupe Henry
College of William & Mary
VAMAP October 2007
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Purpose Of Workshop
To introduce DAS – NCES software
tool “Data Analysis System”
 To access features of both DAS 1.0
and 2.0
 To understand the wide range of
information available
 To use DAS to analyze data
 To warn about quirks

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Goal Of This Workshop
At the end of this workshop you will
have accessed three different data
sets of using DAS
 Done a rudimentary analysis on each
 Been able to print a report
 Been able to download a correlation
matrix for use in further analysis with
SPSS or SAS

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Data Sets To Be Accessed
NCES IPEDS Institution Data (3
exercises)
 NSOPF data (National Study of PostSecondary Faculty) (1 exercise)
 NPSAS data (National PostSecondary Student Aid Study) (1
exercise)

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Why Use DAS?
Going beyond your peer group
 Institutional RESEARCH
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Where Is It?

http://nces.ed.gov/dasol/

Using your pc and your favorite
browser, link to internet, and type in
this address.
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NCES DAS Online Home
Page
Two Versions of DAS (2.0 and 1.0)
each with different types of data
available
 2.0 is a beta version (lots of surveys)
 1.0 is the “old” version – limited
surveys – but it does have IPEDS.
 Start with 1.0 version – choose
“Overview” on right side.

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DAS Web Site Tabs
DAS Online Application
 User Help Center
 Tables Library
 Analysis Reports
 What’s New
 Homepage

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DAS Online

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“The Data Analysis System (DAS) is a
software application that allows you to
produce tables and correlation
matrices from NCES data sets. There
is a separate DAS for each data set,
but all have a consistent interface and
command structure.”
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DAS Online
Each DAS can be run in two modesTables or Correlations.
 Each is available both in a web based
format or a (cumbersome) windows
format.
 We will be doing the on-line web
based.
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DAS User Help Center

5 help topics:
Tutorials.
 User Guide 2.0
 User Guide 1.0
 T-test Tools
 Technical Assistance

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The Tutorials
Tutorials are good.
 Start with simple ones – using DAS
1.0

Overview of DAS is good
 Building a simple table
 Creating a lump tag

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The Users Guide 1.0
In it you will find some very useful
information and examples.
 USERS GUIDE also found under the
HELP menu option once you actually
get in the online system.
 A copy of User’s Guide 1.0 is in the
second section of your notebook.

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The Users Guide 2.0
Basically the same as 1.0.
 Has an added feature of Power Users.

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The DAS Lingo
TAGS, TPFs and CPFs
 Rows, Columns
 Cats, Lumps
 Cuts
 Means, Averages
 Spans, Bys, Filters

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Quick Facts
Mean includes 0, -1
 Average excludes 0, -1 (gt 0)
 Columns are better than rows…
 Order of choices makes a difference
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Basic Process
Specify a COLUMN variable
 Specify a ROW variable
 Select a weight variable if necessary
 Run the TPF
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The Window Pop Ups
(follow the bouncing ball)
Main Window
 Variable Information Window
 Tag Options Window
 Tag Specific Options Window
 TPF/CPF Window
 Verification Window
 Output Window

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The First Step
Need to get back to DAS Online
Application. Choose “DAS Online
Application” on Menu at top.
 Choose “To Create Tables” under
“Access Application” (on the right)
under version 1.0.
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DAS Online 1.0 Data Sets
Early Childhood – (ECLS – Birth)
 Secondary (1972 seniors, 1980
Seniors)
 Post Secondary (IPEDS 2004, 2003,
2002)
 Early Childhood and Household Data
(NHES 1995)

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Short Cuts

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On the top right is a short cut to the
same groupings of data.
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Choosing A Data Set
Choose “Post-Secondary Institution
Data in 2004”.
 Use either the shortcut or scroll down.
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NCES Usage Agreement
A pop up window appears.
 NCES Data Usage Agreement (you
must agree or you go nowhere).
 Each DAS has a separate agreement.
 “I agree to the terms above…”

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IPEDS Post-Secondary
Institution 2004 Main Page
Tabs on top are standard options for every
NCES data set.
 TPF (table parameter file)
 Show
 Save
 New
 Import
 Run
 Help (find users guide here)
 About
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IPEDS Post-Secondary
Institution 2004 Information

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Major categories of variables have a
circle in front.
Subcategories of variables have a plus
sign in front.
Clicking on the circle or plus sign
expands or contracts the list.
“Frequently used variables” are at the
beginning for a reason.
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IPEDS Post-Secondary
Institution 2004 Information
Major categories: (each has subcategories)
 Frequently Used/Derived Variables
 Institutional Characteristics
 Admissions
 Student Charges
 Enrollment (Fall 2004 and Year 2003-04)
 Completions
 Graduation Rates
 Student Financial Aid
 Finance
 Faculty Salaries
 Employees by Assigned Position
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Post Secondary Institution
Data 2004
Exercise 1.
 ?? Of the institutions in IPEDS-land,
how many are accredited by a
regional accrediting agency and what
is their type of control (public, private
etc.)??
 Caution – think beyond your peer
group.

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Choosing Our Variables
Choose under the major category
“Institutional Characteristics” the sub
category “Accreditation” .
 Choose “Regional Accrediting
Agency”.

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Variable Pop Up Window

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Variable information pop up provides a
general description of the variable. It is the
best way to look at definition and
parameters. Are you getting what you think
you are getting?
There is no one concise spot that describes
all the variables that IPEDS holds. The
Codebooks tab under 2.0 does provide info
for certain surveys, but not for these
surveys.
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Hint
How do you know which variable to
choose under a major or sub
category?
 Trial and error, common sense,
reading the pop-ups and saved TPFs.
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Choosing What To Do With
Your Variable
Two tabs on top – “Variable
Information” (default) and “Select a
TAG”.
 What are TAGs? TAGs are shortcuts
to what you want done with the
variable – will it be a row or column;
will it be used to lump or cut, etc.
 Understanding TAGs are crucial to
DAS.
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Choosing Column Variable
Choose “Select a Tag”.
 Choose “Column Cat” for the variable
“Regional Accrediting Agency”.
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Variable Label Window
This window allows you to change the
labels or keep them as they appear.
We will keep the default.
 Click on SAVE.
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Confirmation Window
Wait for original page of variables to
appear with your choice.
 The displayed variable list has added
your Col-Cat tag next to “Regional
Accrediting Agency”.

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Choosing Row Variable
In this exercise, we are going to use
control of institution.
 Choose “Control” (fourth option) under
“Institutional Characteristics” .
 Choose “Institutional Control or
Affiliation” the first option under
“Control”.
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Selecting Row TAG
Variable information pops up and
provides a general description of the
variable. Scroll to the bottom. Note the
distribution.
 Choose “Select a TAG” .
 Choose “Row Cat”.
 Note that you do not have as many
options as you did the first time.
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Variable Label and
Confirmation Windows
A label window appears again. We will
keep the default.
 Choose “SAVE”.
 Original variable list will be revised.
Scroll up to see revised list.
 Scroll to top to see TPF menu.
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Processing the TPF

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Show – shows TPF of variables just used
Save – saves this TPF to your pc
New – resets everything
Import – pulls in a TPF from your pc
RUN – produces a listing from this TPF
Help – provides short cut to USER GUIDE
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Run the TPF…
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Choose Run.
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TPF Title Window
Pop up window for title.
 Hint: Make it descriptive – use data
source and variables in title. Be as
specific as possible.
 “IPEDS 2004 – Institutional Control by
Accrediting Agency (your initials)” for
example.
 Choose “Run”.

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Run Confirmation Window
Confirm the RUN request.
 You may receive a “Processing” page.
Production of results depends on the
type of analysis and what else is
happening at NCES.
 Pop up window for results.

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Output Window Options
View printer friendly version
 Download comma separated format
 Download printer friendly web page
 Or RETURN.

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Output to local printer
For this exercise – choose “view
printer friendly version”.
 Print.

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Continuing the exercise

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After printing choose “Return to
Specifications”.
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Main Menu Options

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“Show TPF” – shows you the variables you
have chosen – good to print this off,
because it gives exact variable names –
which can be important when re-running the
table.
Right click for print option of that window.
Hint: attach the printed TPF to your printed
output. That way you will know how you got
this.
At this point you can Save the TPF to your
pc, Edit the TPF, or do a New one.
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Reversing The Axis
We are going to choose the exact
same variables BUT reverse row and
column variables.
 Exercise 1a – do the exact same
process, but reverse the axis.
Remember to use the NEW tab to
reset variables.
 Run the TPF, review the results. Print
output and TPF.

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Reversing The Axis
Exercise 1a – do the exact same
process, but reverse the axis.
 Institutional Control or affiliation as
column cat, then Regional accrediting
agency as row cat.
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Average Does Not Equal
Mean.
Exercise 2.
 ??What are the average room
charges for public institutions??
 Definition of average tag – (p23 of
users guide) creates a column of
average estimates.
 Start with a NEW TPF.

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Average – choosing
columns
Choose “Academic Year” under
“Student Charges”.
 Choose “Room and Board Charges”,
second option.
 Choose “typical room charge for
academic year” as an AVERAGE.
 Label window, then save.
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Average – choosing rows
Choose “Control” under “Institutional
Characteristics”.
 Choose “Control of Institution”, last
option, as the row cat.
 Label window.
 Confirm and “Save”.
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Average
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Scroll to top.
Show TPF (print TPF).
Choose Run.
Title window.
Titles typically should have (at the very
least) the row and column variables
specified, and the source data.
Print output.
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Mean Using Same Data
Rather than starting from scratch we
are going to “EDIT” the TPF to do the
mean rather than the average.
 Return to specifications.
 Exercise 2a.
 ??What are the mean room charges
for public institutions??
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Editing a TPF to get Mean
Keep same Row Cat, change from
average to mean for the room charge.
 Choose SHOW TPF.
 Delete Average Room Charge.
 Now only the row cat should be
displayed.
 Close the TPF
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Mean
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Under Student charges choose Typical
Room Charge for academic year.
Choose Mean as the TAG.
Run.
Note that Title Window has the title from
previous TPF (this happens whenever you
do not do a NEW TPF).
Need to modify title to specify MEAN.
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Average vs Mean
Note the differences.
 This difference can mean a lot when
you are doing analysis of student
financial aid. Be careful when
choosing your analysis, if 0 is not the
same as missing.
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Cuts
Cuts are user defined intervals for the
continuous variables.
 Exercise 3.
 ?? What is distribution of institutional
control for small, medium and large
institutions??
 We are going to define small, medium
and large.

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Cutting the data – column
variable
Still using IPEDS Postsecondary
Institution 2004 data.
 Create NEW TPF.
 Choose “Control” under “Institutional
Characteristics”.
 Choose “Control of institution” as
column cat.

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Cutting the data – row
variable
Choose sub category “12 month
unduplicated headcount” under major
category “Enrollment Academic Year
2003- 2004”.
 Choose “Grand total”.
 Choose row cut.

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Specifying the cuts
Use the cut points of 999.5 and
9999.5 for determining small, medium
and large.
 Cut points require a decimal.
 Note the default value is -0.5.
 Click on the box to its right – a default
label will be created.
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Specifying the cuts
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Accept the default -.5 for the first value.
Create a default label for this row by just
clicking in the box to the right.
Under the -.5 column enter 999.5 cut point.
Click on second column to get a default
label.
Under the 999.5 enter the 9999.5 cut point.
Click on second column to get a default
label.
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Specifying the cuts
Change the labels to small, medium
and large.
 For this variable note that there are
further choices about what to cut.
 Be careful that you always read to the
bottom of a popup window!!!
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Cutting the data
For this exercise choose “All Students
total” for level of analysis at the
bottom of the cut window. SAVE.
 Run.
 Title.
 Note that the results are in percents
and not in number.

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DAS 2.0

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Back to DAS On line home page by clicking
on BACK TO DAS SITE on the blue DAS
menu bar on top right.
Left side of page.
Major categories of surveys are: B&B,
BPS,NELS, NHES, NPSAS, NSOPF and
SASS.
DAS categorizes these as elementary/
secondary; post-secondary; and household
surveys.
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DAS 2.0 and NSOPF 2004
Choose To Create Tables from left
side.
 Choose NSOPF 2004 from shortcuts.
 Agree to disclosure statement,
different data set, new agreement.
 Note different variables, but same
tabs on top.
 Note the search feature for variables.
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NSOPF 2004 Salary info
Exercise 4.
 ??What is the average salary of men
versus women faculty in 2 year vs 4
year institutions??
 In this exercise note that the order you
choose variables effects the options
you are given!!!
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NSOPF 2004 row cat,
average and by-cat
Choose “Amount of income from basic
salary from institution” under
“Frequently used variables” as an
average.
 Choose “Gender” under “Frequently
used variables” as a row cat.
 Choose “2000 Carnegie, 2 yr vs 4 yr”
under “Frequently used variables” as
a by-cat.
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NSOPF 2004 processing
TPF
Label, confirm, run.
 Title. View output.
 Try this exercise again, choosing the
variables in a different order. See
what options appear.
 What effect do you think ‘Full-time vs
Part-time’ would have on the results?
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NSOPF 2004 output as html
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Two ways to save the listing electronically.
Choose “Download printer friendly Web page”.
Pop up window appears with an option to open or save
the results. Choose save.
Browser will ask where you want to save it.
Suggestion: rename it something you will understand.
The default name is DASTABLE.html. Not very
helpful.
Put all output in one spot to help you find the latest try.
Save as an “html” file.
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NSOPF 2004 output as csv
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The other option is to “Download comma
delimited file”.
Pop up window asks to open or save. Save.
Browser will ask where you want to save it.
Suggestion: rename it and put it in a folder
so that you can easily find it. Default name
is DASTABLE.csv.
Extension will be “.csv”, which can be
opened through Microsoft Excel.
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NSOPF 2004 on your own
Choose an analysis of your own as
Exercise 4a.
 Run the analysis and download the
listing and the TPF, if you so desire.
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NPSAS and Correlation
Matrices
Go Back to DAS On Line by clicking
on menu bar.
 Choose “To Estimate covariance
analysis” (on 1.0 side it is called “to
create correlations”).
 Choose “NPSAS 2004
Undergraduates” from shortcuts.
 Accept disclosure statement again.
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NPSAS 2004 and correlation
matrices
Note that the tabs are once again the
same and there is a search feature.
 The variables are different.
 But the grey bar starts with CPF and
not TPF.
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NPSAS 2004 and correlation
matrices
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Choose under the “Borrowed” major category
and the “Cumulative” sub category, the variable
“Cumulative borrowed for undergraduate
education” as a continuous variable.
Choose under the same two categories, the
variable “cumulative PLUS loans” as a
continuous variable.
Choose under “Education” major category and
the “Program” sub category ,the variable “Field
of Study: undergraduate (12 cat)” as EACH.
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NPSAS 2004
Choose Run.
 Make sure you choose the type of file
you want – SAS or SPSS before you
run. (I use SAS.)
 Create a title.
 Confirm.
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NPSAS 2004
WAIT.
 When completed, there will be a pop
up window asking for you to
download.
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NPSAS 2004
Browser will ask where you want to
save it.
 Suggestion: rename it and put it in a
folder so that you can easily find it.
 Extension will be “.txt.” This is
basically a SAS program with the card
information for running a regression.

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Summary
Introduced DAS 1.0 and 2.0
 Accessed a number of features of
DAS
 Began to get an understanding of the
wide range of information available
 Used DAS to analyze data

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Goal of this workshop
At the end of this workshop we have
accessed three different sets of DAS
information,
 Done a rudimentary analysis on each,
 Been able to print a report,
 Been able to download correlation
matrices for further analysis.

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VAMAP 2007
An Introduction to Using DAS
Online for Institutional
Research
Any questions?
 [email protected]
 757-221-2571

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