July 2004: record IDs, & formula scores:

 

Prior to this revision, data records with ID information had to satisfy two criteria: the ID itself had to reside in either the first or second column of the Data worksheet, and the column header used for the ID field had to begin with the letters ID, or id, or Id, or iD.

 

Now the first of these requirements is gone.  Zapped.  The column with ID information may now be any column.  This change, prompted by a request from Barbara Foster, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will be welcomed by those who like to put the first item response in the Data worksheet's first column.

 

But, a warning: there's a potential problem with having the first item's responses recorded in the first column of the Data worksheet.  What if someone doesn't answer an item?  Some users let a blank, or empty, column represent missing responses.  But a blank or empty first column in the Data worksheet has a very special meaning for Lertap: it indicates the end of data.  Users who record item responses in column 1 of the Data worksheet should use a special code to cover the case of unanswered items -- for example, perhaps an "x", or maybe a "9".

 

For more about IDs, click here.

 

This revision also provides support for users who like to transform test scores, to re-scale them.  Any formula may be applied to any score found in the Scores worksheet. Read all about it.