Creating or Obtaining a Data File
Common Data File Formats
- Overview of Data File Formats
- Relational Database
- Flat Data File
- Fixed-Width File
- Tab Delimited Text File
- Comma-Delimited File
Characteristics of a Good Data File
- Data in a Rectangular Shape, with Appropriate Cases and Varibles
- Variables are Stored in the Data Set Consistently with their Variable Type
- The Data File Contains a Unique Identifier (ID Variable)
- Missing Values are Stored Appropriately
- Categorical Variables Contain a Complete List of Useful Value Labels
- Randomizations and Rotations Have Been Removed