CTUR creates and distributes these variables:
- CDAY (the calendar day of the month which the diary reflects)
- EPNUM (the total number of episodes, or changes in any domain of the diary record compared to the previous episode in the diary)
and
in the episode file only.
We include CDAY in the episode file as the main use of this variable is to match information relevant to specific dates and times of day into the episode file.
The variable EPNUM serves as an identifier in the episode file as this is the unique episode number (and also reflects the time order of the episodes in each diary).
The variable EPNUM is not relevant at the level of the diary. The simple file and the aggregate file are diary-level files.
If a file is available in the simple file format only, or the simple for now format but awaiting upgrade (see the surveys included page), we have not created CDAY or EPNUM.
If we have made an episode file for a survey, you can match CDAY into aggregate file by the process of aggregation. You use the same process to create a variable based on EPNUM, such at the total number of episodes of paid work, or the total episodes in the diary.
Here is example code to do this in SPSS:
*open the episode file.
get file='C:\MTUS-adult-episode.sav'.
*create a marker of an episode of paid work.
compute pw=0.
if (main>6 and main<15) or main=5 pw=1.
aggregate
outfile=*
/break country survey swave msamp hldid persid id
/cday=MAX(cday) /totep "total episodes in diary"=MAX(epnum)
/pweps "total paid work episodes"=SUM(pw).
execute.
match files files=*
files='C:\MTUS-adult-aggregate.sav'
/by country survey swave msamp hldid persid id.
execute.
*you now will have cday, total episodes in the diary,
*and number of episodes of paid work in the aggregate file.