Re: st: foreach loop for scoring answers

[Stas Kolenikov <skolenik@gmail.com>]

If you have "wide" data (in the sense of -reshape-), you can

sort id
foreach x of <the list of items> {
   gen byte correct_`x' = (`x'==`x'[_N])
}

If you have "long" data,

bysort item (id) : gen byte correct = (response == response[_N])

On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 7:51 PM, Brandon Olszewski
<olszewski.brandon@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have a data set containing answers from 100 student answers to a
> 50-item test; one of the "students" is the answer key (id=101). I want
> to create new variables coded 0/1 (incorrect/correct) by comparing
> student answers to the key's answers. I realize I could do this
> somewhat barbarically, like this:
> gen correct_1=<manually enter correct answer for question 1>
> gen dummy_1=0
> replace dummy_1=1 if answer_1==correct_1
>
> ...and so on, copying syntax and replacing '1' with whatever number
> question I'm working with.
>
> Instead, I want to do this more elegantly by writing a macro that will
> do this for me. I understand that I can use the foreach or forvalues
> commands to accomplish this, but am lost on how to get started with
> them, as my unix language skills and familiarity with macros are not
> up to par. I'm also unsure about how to use one of my cases (the key,
> id=101) in the comparative way I've described (to create values for
> in/correct answers from the 100 other cases). I have checked previous
> do-files (that colleagues have built with me) and stata documentation
> but am unable to make solid sense out of them for my purposes.
>
> Any help is appreciated.
> Best,
> Brandon Olszewski
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-- 
Stas Kolenikov, also found at http://stas.kolenikov.name
Small print: I use this email account for mailing lists only.

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