I'm recoding a substantial number of text responses into categorical
variables. I'm finding it easier to -encode- the variables with the
text responses first, before replacing the categorical variables with
the correct value - this way I can avoid typing out all the text
responses in the -replace- command and just type their encoded numbers.
I have done this for 6 variables, and it worked fine for 5 of them. I
cannot figure out what went wrong with the 6th.
The variable I am trying to encode has about 90 categories. When I
encode though, the resulting variable I generate begins at number 8 and
ends at 238. The first category (text response) gets an 8, the second
gets a 12, and so forth. The manual states that -encode- alphabetizes
before it encodes, but that doesn't explain my problem. I would still
expect the numbers to go sequentially, which they have with the other 5
variables.
Here's what I mean:
. tab custoo_2
custody status of child if #11 |
indicated on previous question | Freq. Percent
Cum.
----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------
#1 and #8 | 1 0.02 0.02
2nd Cousin | 1 0.02 0.05
666 | 3,961 95.19 95.24
8, Guardianship | 1 0.02 95.27
888 | 1 0.02 95.29
999 | 82 1.97 97.26
BIO MOM & ADOPTIVE FATHER | 1 0.02 97.28
Bio Mom and Adop. Dad | 1 0.02 97.31
Bio mother & adoptive father | 1 0.02 97.33
COUSIN | 1 0.02 97.36
County has temporary custody | 1 0.02 97.38
DCSF | 1 0.02 97.40
So why would it skip from 8 to 12, then from 13 to 26 to 44 to 57...etc.?
I tried searching the archives for an answer to no avail. I also tried
-sencode- after reading about it on the archives, but didn't have much
luck there either.
Thank you.
Sarah
--
Sarah A. Mustillo, Ph.D
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke University School of Medicine
Box 3454
Durham NC 27710
