Author Archives: dpw

Request for Available Dataset Information

This is a request for information about available datasets, especially ones containing raw educational data, actual test responses. Compatibility information is also very hard to come by. Ideal would be datasets including personal characteristics, interpersonal compatibility, occupations and job history, plus the very important responses to questions of fact, from which error-tendencies can be derived. Continue reading

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Variables in Social Survey Data

Treating coded variables as probability columns will form a very large matrix, which can be processed to correct the data. This may be done interatively, because of limits to processing power and memory. Continue reading

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Update on Using WLS Data

It seems that data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study can be used without easily machine readable codebooks by using the catalog files from the SAS distribution with the CSV distribution. The fact that some raw data is hidden in constructed variables in unfortunate, but we can probably work with what we have, at least for prototyping. “Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts”, please, questions exactly as asked, answers exactly as received would be the most useful. Continue reading

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Proposed Standards for Social Surveys

Standards are proposed for the storage and translation of machine-readable data, including the not only responses but also questionnaire and response set information. It should be possible to reconstruct the entire survey procedures and instruments automatically, without human intervention, so that the resulting mass of data will be most useful for social technology, as well as in the social sciences. Continue reading

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Oops, yes WLS codebooks were digitalized, though not in a form I can use.

To say that WLS codebooks are not digitized was wrong, as they are digital in the sense of being available as PDF and HTML files. They help me little, being not much use except to print out. Digital codebook data is also in files for a big statistical package like Stata, but these are of no use to me since they would require the purchase of a big expensive package for the sole purpose translating the codebooks into a simple CSV format. Though I remain frustrated, I was wrong. Continue reading

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If only the WLS people had Digitized their Codebooks

If only the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and other social surveys had digitized their codebooks, at least, and even their questionnaires, then actually using the data in social technology would be so much easier. Continue reading

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Data to Prototype With

Data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study will be used in prototype software written in Python for the data compilation, massage, correction and eventual use in social technology. Continue reading

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AI or Not AI?

A natural language interface to a large question and answer database may look like artificial intelligence, but it is not. Could it ever be the basis of one? Maybe.
Would that be useful for social technology? An open question. Continue reading

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Data Merging, Large and Small

Encrypting both messages and the channels over which they travel can provide the necessary data security. The old rule about better guns defeating better armour does not apply in computer systems. Continue reading

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