Introduction

StatPac is a complete data manager and analysis package. It will handle all phases of survey design and analysis.

The steps in running StatPac are the same as in all research:

         1. Design the study

         2. Collect the data

         3. Run the analyses

Numerous other tasks may be performed, such as managing e-mail lists and manually entering/editing data.

The study design contains a description of the variables, their labels, and the data file format. The study design is stored in a file called the codebook. All codebook file names end with a .cod extension.

Another part of the study design is called a form. The form is used for data entry and editing. You do not need a form unless you will be doing manual data entry or editing. All form names end with a .frm extension. When you are processing questionnaires, the form closely resembles the questionnaire itself. StatPac’s data manager uses the form to allow entry and editing of data.

An essential element of StatPac is the ability to create and maintain a database of information to be analyzed. This may be questionnaire data, test scores or any other type of "raw" information. The information is stored in a data file on disk. All data file names end with a .dat extension.

When performing a Web survey, the responses will be stored on the server in an ASCII text file using a .asc extension. (Note: The default extension for internet response files many be changed by modifying the InternetExtension setting in the StatPac.ini file.) When you’re ready to perform analyses, you’ll download the response file to your local computer and import it into a StatPac data file.

The final step is to perform the analyses. StatPac is designed for either interactive or batch processing. This means you can run a single analysis (interactive) or many different analyses at one time (batch). To run an analysis you will type a set of commands that say "first do this", "next do this", and so on. These commands are stored in a procedure file. Procedure file names end with a .pro extension.

Installing StatPac on a hard disk is very easy and will take about five minutes.

If you have any problems installing this product, please do not hesitate to write, call, or e-mail.

StatPac Inc.

Technical Support

1200 First Street

Pepin, WI 54759

(715) 442-2261  (9-5 Central Time)

(715) 442-2262 (Fax)

support@statpac.com

Please note that StatPac can legally be installed on two computers provided that there will not be simultaneous use of both installations. It may be installed on a network drive. However, access to the software will be restricted to the workstation used for the installation. Any other installations are a violation of copyright laws. If you wish to install StatPac on an additional computer, please remove it from the current computer before installing it on the new computer, or purchase a second copy at a reduced cost.

When conducting web surveys, the HTML files that StatPac creates may be installed on any server or servers. No special license is required to upload the HTML files to multiple servers. Additionally, the Perl scripts provided with the software may be installed on more than one server. No special license is required for multiple installations of the Perl scripts.

System Requirements

Local PC

StatPac will work on a PC running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, NT,  XP, or Vista. It requires about 50Mb of disk space and a minimum of 256M RAM. StatPac's performance is directly related to the CPU clock speed (faster is better) and the amount of RAM (more is better). We suggest not using StatPac on older PCs that have a CPU clock speed slower than 300MHz.

Server

If you will be conducting Web surveys, you’ll need access to a Web server to “host” your surveys. The server may be Unix/Linix or any version of Windows/IIS. It must support CGI. This means you will have access to a cgi-bin folder on your server. Nearly all hosting services support CGI, so you may need to contact your ISP for more information. StatPac has a Perl script that you will be installed in the cgi-bin folder on your server. If you do not currently have your own Web server, you may use StatPac's free server. The domain for our hosting server is take-survey.com. 

Other Software

All StatPac reports are created in rich text format. These files can be viewed, printed, and manipulated in StatPac, or you can use any word processor to view the reports.

For Web surveys, you may also wish to use a WYSIWYG HTML editor. StatPac will create aesthetically pleasing and fully functional Internet surveys, but you may want to visually enhance their appearance with additional graphics or other design features. In order to do that, you must have a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get HTML editor. Microsoft Front Page is an example of a WYSIWYG HTML editor. Any WYSIWYG HTML editor will work. While we do not recommend it, you may also use recent versions Microsoft Word to edit your HTML files.

Installation

1. Choose Run from the Start Bar.

2. Use the Browse button to navigate to your CD. Click on "Install StatPac".

3. Click OK to install the package.  The default installation folder is C:\StatPac. You may change the installation folder.

System administrators: Users must have read/write access to the folder where the software is installed. Since the Vista operating system does not allow users write access to the Program Files folder, it should not be installed in the Programs Files folder on Vista machines.

After StatPac has finished installing the software, an icon will be created on your desktop.

4. Double click on the icon to run StatPac

5. Select Help, Enter Unlock Code

6. Type your User Name, Serial Number and UNLOCK Code and click OK.

7. Answer ‘Yes’ to connect to the StatPac server. This will turn the demo into a full version. If you do not have an internet connection or if you are unable to connect to the StatPac server, press [Esc] instead of answering ‘Yes’. Then call or email StatPac Inc. for an authorization key. Some firewalls block StatPac's online registration. Your network supervisor can adjust your firewall to allow your PC to communicate with our server. The IP address of the StatPac registration server is 74.220.220.50

That completes the installation on your local computer.

StatPac for Windows is copyrighted and should not be installed on more than one computer at a time (without a Network License Agreement) with the following single exception. StatPac Inc. specifically grants you the right to install the software on one additional computer, provided that both computers will not run the software simultaneously.

Examples of typical installations would be: 1) one home and one office computer, 2) one office computer and a laptop computer, 3) one main computer and one backup computer, 4) your computer and your technical support person’s computer. You are specifically prohibited from installing two copies of the software where there will be two simultaneous users of the software.

When you register the software, it is converted from a demo version to a full version. After registering StatPac, you can unregister it from one machine and then register it on another machine. When you unregister the software, it is converted from a full version back to a demo.

Unregistering the software will enable you to install and register the package on a different computer. Select Help, Enter UNLOCK Code. Type [Ctrl S]. A minus sign will be added to the beginning of the serial number. Type your UNLOCK code. Click OK to unregister the software. The copy on that computer will be changed to a demo version and you will then be able to register it on another computer.

After unregistering the package, you may completely remove it from that computer by selecting Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, and click on StatPac All the files from the directory where you installed the software will be removed. All files that you created (codebooks, data files, etc.) will not be deleted.

When you purchase a Network License Agreement, your serial number and password will automatically activate the network option.  The network option will not work unless you have a special serial number and password.

The software must be installed from each station that will have access to the network. At the first station, install the software to a network drive. Subsequent installations at different stations should install to the same network drive and folder.  Some required files will be written to the local computer's Windows\System folder. Use your serial number and UNLOCK code to activate each station after you install it.

After installing the software on all stations, perform the following two steps to use the networking capabilities of StatPac for Windows.

1. Create or decide upon a folder where user profiles will be stored. The folder can have any name. All users must have permission to write to this folder. A profile is the same as the StatPac.ini file and contains all the default values for the software. Each user will have their own profile (their own default values).

For example, you might create a folder called: 

C:\Program Files\StatPac\UsersFolder

2. Create a ASCII text file (using notepad or any word processor) and save it in the StatPac programs folder using the name "Users.ini". The first line of the text is the path to the folder where user profiles are stored.  This may be the fully qualified path, or can be a path relative to the folder where StatPac was installed. Subsequent lines in the text file are user names and passwords separated by commas. Do not include any spaces unless they are actually part of the password. Upper and lower case characters are different.

For example, three user names and passwords are specified in this "Users.ini" file:

C:\Program Files\StatPac\UsersFolder

Administrator,Boss

David,programmer

Hilda,Pastor

StatPac networking will now be enabled. User profiles will automatically be created and stored in the user profile folder when the user first logs into StatPac. The login screen will appear each time a user runs the package.

If you need to add a new user, first temporarily rename the Users.ini file to something else. Then install the software from the new station and activate it with the serial number and password. Finally, rename the file back to Users.ini and edit the file to include the new username and password.

We frequently update the software with enhancements and bug fixes. Please check our web site to see if you have the most recent update. Updates are available to all users who have a current technical support agreement.

How to update your StatPac:

1. Run StatPac

2. Select Help, Software Updates

3. Click the Check for Updates button

4. Download the updates

5. Close StatPac and restart it.

To install the complete package:

Use the CD you received or set your browser to http://www.statpac.com/demo.htm and download the demo program (StatPac_11.exe) to a temporary folder. Use Windows Explorer and double click on the StatPac_11.exe file or select Start, Run, and use the browse button to find and run the StatPac_11.exe file. After the installation is complete, register the software to turn in from a demo into a full package.

1. Run StatPac

2. Select Help, Enter Unlock Code

3. Type your User Name, Serial Number and UNLOCK Code and click OK.

4. Answer ‘Yes’ to connect to the StatPac server. This will turn the demo into a full version. If you do not have an internet connection or if you are unable to connect to the StatPac server, press [Esc] instead of answering ‘Yes’. Then call or email StatPac Inc. for an authorization key.

If you have a previous version of StatPac installed on the computer, we suggest installing the new version in the same folder. Use Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs to remove the existing version before installing the new version. If you do not remove the existing version, the installer might ask if you want to remove the current version before installing the new version. It is safe to answer “yes”.  None of your existing data files or codebooks will be affected by removing and reinstalling the package.

System crashes are not common; however, when they do happen, it can be devastating. Making backup copies of your study files is an important part of any data analysis procedure. Generally, you should make a backup whenever you feel "it's more than you'd care to lose".

AT A MINIMUM, ALWAYS BACK UP A STUDY BEFORE BEGINNING ANY ANALYSES OF THAT STUDY.

The analysis portion of StatPac is very powerful. Variables and data may be easily changed. Furthermore, these changes can easily be made a permanent part of the study. If you should make a error, your study information and data will reflect this error. The only way to undo an error (i.e., to restore the codebook and data to its former state) is to use a back up. IF YOU HAVE NOT MADE A BACKUP, IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO UNDO PERMANENT CHANGES YOU HAVE MADE TO THE CODEBOOK OR DATA.

We strongly recommend that you make frequent backup copies of all StatPac codebook and data files. To backup a study, use Windows Explorer to copy the codebook, data entry form, data file and procedure file to a different folder.

In most situations, it is desirable (but not necessary) to create a separate folder for each study. Storing each study in its own folder will make it easier to backup and manage the files associated with each study.

The easiest way to create a backup is to first load the codebook for the study. Then select Data, Backup. You’ll then be able to create a backup folder and all the files associated with the study will be copied to the backup folder. The new backup folder will be created in the same folder as the current codebook.

Important User Tip

A good habit is to begin each procedure file with a simple procedure that writes a duplicate codebook and data file. Then perform subsequent procedures on the duplicate files rather than the originals. By doing this, you'll be leaving the original codebook and data files intact. No matter what happens, you'll always be able to revert back to your original files.

In this example, the original codebook and data file are called XYZ The first procedure (first 2 lines) writes a new codebook and data file called TEMP. The second procedure begins using the TEMP codebook and data file, and all subsequent procedures will use the TEMP codebook and data file. If you make an erroneous transformation to the data in a subsequent procedure, you'll be able to revert back to the original codebook and data file by re-running the first procedure.

STUDY XYZ

WRITE TEMP

..

STUDY TEMP

(all the rest of the procedures)

The execution time for any analysis depends upon (in the order of importance):

1. The clock speed of the CPU in your computer.

2. The number of records in the data file.

3. The number and type of transformations being performed.

4. The amount of RAM in the computer.

5. The type of analysis being performed.

6. The options used on the analysis.

When you have several analyses to perform, batch processing can save time. The advantage is that you can submit many analyses at one time and they all get added to the same document.

When conducting Web surveys, the demands on your server will be minimal. Generally, the HTML files created will be small and load quickly into a browser. The server is only called upon when a survey page is being loaded into the respondent’s browser and when they click the next page or submit button. Once a survey page has been loaded into the respondent’s browser, no demands are placed on the server until the respondent submits that page.

The response data is collected on the server and stored in the cgi-bin folder. This folder is protected from unauthorized users. Thus, the information you collect is as secure as your cgi-bin folder.

Additionally, you may add password protection to a survey to only allow access to people who have the password.

Most of the features in StatPac have been developed as a result of user suggestions. If you would like to suggest a program enhancement, please feel free to write us about it. All users of StatPac will benefit.

Technical support prices:

Demo users receive 30 days of free technical support.

Purchasers of the software receive 90 days of free technical support. After that, you may either:

1) Purchase a technical support agreement .  To renew your technical support agreement, select Help, Technical Support, and click on the link to renew your support agreement. The cost for updates and a suport agreement depends upon how long you have gone without an agreement. For 6 months or less, it is $150 per year.

2) Pay for each technical support call. ($25 per incident).

How to find the serial number of your package:

Click Help, About StatPac for Windows to see the serial number of your software.

Demo versions do not have a serial number. Thirty days of free support is provided to demo users.

Please include the following information in any written communication:

1. The serial number of your package.

2. A description of the problem, including a description of how the problem may be duplicated. Screen prints are often helpful. To copy a screen to the clipboard, press the Alt and Print Screen keys together.

3. Any data disks involved with the problem (codebook, data file, and procedure file). This is often necessary for us to duplicate the problem.

4. A description of anything you've discovered about the problem.

5. How to contact you  (fax, phone, e-mail).

6. Send to:

StatPac Inc.

Technical Support

1200 First Street

Pepin, WI 54759

Tech support by e-mail:

1. Include the serial number of your package.

2. Include files as attachments. A zipped file is preferred.3

3. Email to: support@statpac.com

Tech support by fax:

1. Include the serial number of your package.

2. Include sample printouts (please limit to a few pages)

3. Tell us how to contact you (fax, phone, e-mail.)

4. Fax to: (715) 442-2262

Tech support by telephone:

1. The serial number of your package. Click Help, About StatPac for Windows to see your serial number. (Demo versions do not have a serial number.)

2. All relevant printouts in front of you.

3. If possible, try to be at the computer and phone at the same time.

4. Call (715) 442-2261 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Central time.

StatPac for Windows is distributed on an "AS IS" basis without warranty.

StatPac Inc. has made extensive tests on StatPac for Windows and believes it to be "bug" free. However, in any set of programs as complex as StatPac for Windows, there is the possibility that the programs will malfunction with unusual or invalid data.

StatPac Inc. shall have no liability or responsibility to customer or any other person or entity with respect to any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by StatPac for Windows. This includes, but is not limited to, any interruption of service, loss of data, loss of business or anticipatory profits, or consequential damages from the use of StatPac for Windows.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of StatPac Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

Paper and pencil surveys, and CATI (computer assisted telephone interviewing) surveys follow the same process:

1. Create a codebook (i.e., the study design). The codebook contains the questions and response choices for all the items on the survey. It also contains validity checking information and branching information that allows the survey to skip to other questions depending on a respondent’s answer.

2. Create a data entry/editing form. The data entry form is a template that can be used for entering and editing data. StatPac can automatically generate a nicely formatted form. Once created, forms can be easily modified (such as adding special instructions to interviewers or data entry operators).

3. Enter the raw data. The data manager is used to enter the respondents’ answers into a database. Internally, StatPac stores the data in a fixed record-length sequential ASCII file with a carriage return and line feed at the end of each data record.

4. Create a procedure file and run the reports. A procedure file is simply a set of instructions that tells StatPac what kind of reports you want.

Building an Internet survey can be broken down into several distinct steps. The basic process for creating Internet surveys with an e-mail invitation and follow-up reminder to non-respondents is as follows:

1. Create a codebook. The codebook for Internet surveys is nearly identical to the codebook for paper and pencil surveys.

2. Create a default script by selecting Design, Internet Survey. The script controls how the HTML survey pages will be created.

3. Modify the default script as necessary.

4. Generate and view the HTML files. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary.

5. Upload the files to the Web site and test the survey online.

6. Clean the email list (and add ID numbers to the list if you intend to track who responded). Send e-mail invitations to participate in the survey.

7. Download the file containing visitor responses and capture them into a data file.

8. Create an e-mail list of nonresponders. Send a reminder e-mail to the nonresponders.

9. Download the file containing visitor responses and capture them into a data file.

10. Create a procedure file and run the reports in StatPac or export the data to Access, or a tab or comma delimited file.

StatPac creates and uses several types of files. The file extensions are controlled by the software and usually may not be changed.

Codebooks (.cod)

The survey design is stored in a file called the codebook. Each item on a survey is a variable. The survey design contains a description of the variables, their labels, and their formats. Additional information, such as skip patterns (branching) and validity checking, are also stored in the codebook. All codebook file names end with a .cod extension.

Data Manager Forms (.frm)

Another part of the study design is called a form. The form is used as a screen template for manually entering and editing. It is not uncommon for a small number of respondents to want to complete a hardcopy of the survey rather than the Internet version. In those situations, you will have to manually add their information to the rest of the data. All forms end with a .frm extension.

Data Files (.dat)

Data files can be created with the data manager, imported from a file created by another program, or captured from an e-mail or Internet response file.

When conducting a web survey, respondents’ answers are stored in a response file on your server. These response files must be downloaded and captured before they can be used or exported. When you capture a response file from the server, it is converted to a fixed-format sequential ASCII file. Responses from multiple page surveys are combined into a single data record per respondent.  Data file names end with a .dat extension.

Internet Response Files (.asc or .txt)

When a respondent completes a survey on your web site, their answers are stored on your server in an ASCII text file. This file is not directly useable by other software; it must first be captured by StatPac and converted into a fixed-format ASCII text file. StatPac supports multiple page surveys by storing the responses to each page as it is completed. If a respondent abandons the survey before completing all pages, you will still have captured the information from the pages that they finished. Internet response file names normally end with an .asc extension, although you can alternatively use a .txt extension. The InternetExtension setting in the StatPac.ini defaults file can be used to set the Internet response file extension.

 StatPac provides two methods for uploading and downloading files from your server (Server, Auto Transfer and Server, FTP). If you use your own FTP client to upload and download files, then you must tell your FTP program that files with a .asc extension are to be treated as ASCII (not binary) files. If you are unable to make that setting in your FTP program, then you should change StatPac’s default extension for internet response files from .asc to .txt. The InternetExtension setting in the StatPac.ini file sets the extension.

Email Address Lists (.lst or .txt)

Many web surveys use e-mail invitations to request participation from respondents. Email addresses are stored in an ASCII text file with one e-mail address per line. All mailing list file names created by StatPac end with a .lst or .txt extension. You can specify which extension you want to use by changing the ListExtension setting in the StatPac.ini defaults file. When an email address file contains more than just the email addresses (e.g., ID numbers, demographic information, etc.), fields can be separated from each other by tabs or commas.

Email Logs (.log)

The StatPac web survey component has a bulk e-mailing program that lets you send thousands of individualized e-mail invitations in one batch. Each time you send to an e-mail list, a log is kept of the successful and unsuccessful e-mails. The log file will have the same file name as the e-mail list except the extension is .log. Each time you send to a particular e-mail list, the log for that list will be appended.

Rich Text Files (.rtf)

Many people initially develop their surveys using a word processor. When saved in rich text format, these documents can be used to facilitate the design of a codebook. You will be able to copy and paste information from the rich text file to the codebook. Depending on the length of the survey, this may save considerable typing. Rich text files end with a .rtf extension.

HTML Files (.htm)

StatPac creates standard HTML pages for a web survey. Multiple pages are created for multiple page surveys. These are initially created on your local computer. They are ordinary HTML pages and may be edited and enhanced with any HTML editor (e.g., Front Page). After you are satisfied with the appearance of the survey web pages, they are uploaded to your web site. The survey pages end with a .htm extension. You can also use your own editor to create HTML stylized email invitations.

Perl Script (.pl)

When a respondent completes a page of a web survey, their answers are stored in a response file on your server. You will have one response file for each survey you host. The Perl script is a program installed on your server that controls the storage of the data. A Perl script is often called a CGI program. There are two Perl scripts provided with the software: statpac11.pl and password.pl. When you create an Internet survey, statpac.pl will be renamed to yoursurveyname.pl so that respondents see a meaningful URL in their browser address bar. The password.pl script is only used if you create a survey with password protection.

Password Files (.text)

When creating a Web survey where each respondent has their own password, a tab delimited text file of valid passwords must be provided. While your password file can have any extension, StatPac will create a duplicate file with a .text extension. This file will be uploaded to the server to provide password access to the survey.

Exported Data Files (.txt & .csv & .xls & .mdb)

After the data has been captured, you may want to export it to another format so a different program can use it. StatPac lets you export to tab delimited (.txt), comma delimited (.csv), Excel (.xls) and Access data bases (.mdb). These common formats can then be imported into most other software.

Email Body Files (.txt or .htm)

When you send e-mail invitations to potential respondents, the body of the email is extracted from an ASCII text file during the mailing. The body of the e-mail can be created using any text editor (e.g., Microsoft Word, Notepad, etc.) and should be saved as a DOS text file. Usually, the extension will be .txt, but any extension is acceptable. Alternatively, the e-mail body may be a HTML file with a .htm extension.

Sample File Naming Scheme for a Survey

In most situations, most of the files for a given survey will use the same file names and only the extensions will be different. Try to use file names that convey meaning to you. For example, if we wanted to call our survey “opinion”, we would have files called:

opinion.cod           (codebook)

opinion.frm            (form for manual data entry/editing)

opinion.asc           (ASCII text file of responses to a Web survey)

opinion.dat            (data file)

opinion.pro           (procedure file for performing analyses)

opinion.htm           (loader page of Web page)

opinion_1.htm      (first user viewable page of a Web survey)

opinion_2.htm      (another page of a Web survey or thank-you page)

opinion.pl              (Perl script created by StatPac to control page submissions)

We might also have (or create) several other files, but their file names do not have to be the same.  Examples might be:

something.rtf  (a MS Word document used to facilitate the codebook design)

opinion-mail.lst  (an ASCII text file of e-mail addresses for the first mailing)

opinion-mail-reminder.lst  (an ASCII text file of e-mail addresses of nonresponders)

opinion-body.txt  (an ASCII text of that contains the e-mail body for the first mailing) or opinion-body.htm if you were sending an HTML email instead of plain text

opinion-body-reminder.txt (an ASCII text of that contains the e-mail body for the second mailing  to the nonresponders) or opinion-body-reminder.htm if you were sending an HTML emails instead of plain text

opinion.txt  (an exported tab delimited file of the data)

opinion.text   (Password file created by StatPac to control Web survey access)

StatPac stores all its default values in a file called StatPac.ini. To a large degree, these settings control the operation of StatPac. This file can be found in the StatPac programs folder, which is usually C:\StatPac. However, if you installed StatPac in a different folder, it will be there instead.

Most of the settings in the StatPac.ini file are adjusted automatically when you run the program. However, there are some settings that you may wish to change manually. These are noted in this manual when applicable.

Use care when manually editing the StatPac.ini file. Some information (e.g., passwords) are encrypted in the file and will appear “funny” on the screen. Do not change these. Other settings may be crucial to the proper operation of the package. We suggest only changing the settings that are mentioned elsewhere in this manual.

The StatPac.ini file may be edited by selecting File, Open, System Defaults File. This will open the StatPac.ini file in the workspace area. Make the desired change(s) and select File, Save Workspace, and File Close.

The StatPac.ini file is an ASCII text file, so it may alternatively be edited with any text editor (Notepad, WordPad, MS Word, etc.). To make a change in the StatPac.ini file using your own editor:

1)       Close the StatPac for Windows program.

2)       Load the StatPac.ini file using any text editor.

3)       Make the change and save the file.

Most users will never need to directly edit the StatPac.ini file because nearly all the parameters can be changed within the program itself by setting analysis options or changing values in various settings windows. Various references in this manual may refer to other settings you might wish to alter.