ANNOUNCEMENT
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EpiInfo v6.xx provides comprehensive facilities for data-entry and
checking. With over 50,000 registered users, it is probably the most
widely used data-entry and management tool for public health and
epidemiological work. It is, however, only available as a 16-but MS-DOS
application. To allow the continued use of the well known EpiInfo mode
of defining, entering, and checking data we are developing a 32-bit
Windows program for entering, checking, managing, and documenting data
based upon the .QES / .REC / .CHK file approach with extensions such as
the application of variable and value labels, easy definition of
consistency checks, batch checking of data, facilities for handling
complex coding schemes, and data-documentation tools.
The program will work on all currently available 32-bit Microsoft
operating systems (i.e. Windows 95 / 98 / NT 3.51 and better / 2000). It
is packaged as a single installation routine (approximately 0.9 Mb).
After installation the program is installed as a single executable file
(approximately 0.6 Mb) plus help files. EpiData installs in its own
directory and does not place any files in system directories.
Our intention with EpiData is to focus upon quality control at data-
entry and data documentation but NOT upon data analysis. During
development we have been kindly provided with a copy of the source code
for EpiInfo v6.xx from CDC / Andrew Dean but the whole program has been
rewritten. No external (commercial) routines are used in EpiData.
The first test version of the program will be available within the next
week or so. Anyone wishing to try the program should register as a test-
user by pointing their web-browser at:
http://www.bola.suite.dk/epidata
At present, only the most used EpiInfo v6.xx data-entry and checking
functions have been implemented. These include:
Creation of .QES (screen definition) files using numeric, text,
upper-case text, logical, date, today's date, and automatic
SOUNDEX coding field types. A function to create a .QES file
from an existing .REC (data) file is also included.
Creation of .REC (data) files from .QES (screen definition)
files.
Creation of .CHK (interactive data checking) files allowing the
specification of conditional jumps, legal values, ranges, repeat
fields, and must-enter fields.
Entry of data into .REC files applying data checking rules
specified in the .CHK file. The data file format is the same as
EpiInfo v6.xx. EpiData will work with existing EpiInfo v6.xx
data files and EpiInfo v6.xx modules such as ANALYSIS, CSAMPLE,
EPINUT, EXPORT, and MERGE will work with EpiData files.
The creation of documentation files showing file-level
information such as location, size, revision date, number of
fields, number of records as well as field-level information
such as field names, question text, field types, field widths,
and checks.
Backup of .QES / .REC / .CHK files to a specified directory.
Export of data to ASCII (comma-separated), dBase III, Microsoft
Excel, and Stata v6.xx format files.
A 'guided tour' of EpiData is available as a Windows help file from the
WWW site:
http://www.bola.suite.dk/epidata
The program is being developed as a collaboration between Jens
Lauritsen, Michael Bruus and Mark Myatt with financial support from
Funen County and the Danish Data Archives in Denmark and Brixton Health
in the UK. Other sources of funding are being actively sought and we
request that all organisations currently using EpiInfo v6.xx and
requiring a Windows based alternative consider contributing to the
further development of Epidata.
When completed, EpiData will be distributed as freeware.
Mark
--
Mark Myatt
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