Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 10:11:00 -0500
Reply-To: Karen Widbin <Karen.Widbin@NYACK.EDU>
Sender: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Karen Widbin <Karen.Widbin@NYACK.EDU>
Subject: Collapsing multiple records into one
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
I have a special situation whereby I need to collapse several rows of
data about one student into a single row.
The problem is degree/major/concentration data. In extracting this
information from our student records database, what is returned (due to
the structure of the database) is up to three rows of data per student.
Each row contains a) the student id (and any other demographic variables
requested), b) a variable called "descriptor" which reads "degree" or
"major" or "concentration", which defines the c) third variable, called
"label", which is the name of the degree, or major, or concentration
depending on the value of the descriptor variable. For example, the
original datafile might read as follows:
student id gender descriptor label
14335 F degree B.S.
14335 F major Business
Administration
14335 F concentration Marketing
I need to be able to create one row of data for the student which will
collapse the fields that are identical (i.e., student i.d. and gender)
and take the data from the "label" variable and place it in a variable
based on the "descriptor" for that record. For example, the converted
record would read:
student id gender degree major
concentration
14335 F B.S. Business Administration
Marketing
Since not all students will initially have 3 rows of data (because not
all, for instance, have a concentration), it is important that the
system be able to read that "descriptor" variable in order to place the
associated "label" data in the correct field.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Karen Hanson Widbin
Director of Institutional Research
Nyack College | Alliance Theological Seminary
1 S. Blvd.
Nyack, NY 10960-3698
Phone: 845-358-1710, ext. 537
FAX: 845-353-1297
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