The Data is a Mess When I Open Displayr

When the data is a mess - for example, you're looking at multiple response questions split apart and numbers that do not make sense - the problem is always that the data file that is being used contains one or more problems. Most commonly, the problem will be either that:

• A data file is used that contains no metadata (e.g., the file will contain a value of 1 to indicate 'male', but nothing in the file indicates that 1 means 'male').
• The metadata that is contained in the file is incorrect.

Files with no metadata

If the data file contains no metadata, the solution is to either:

• Obtain a data file with metadata (see What data file formats does Displayr support?).
• Manually enter the metadata (see Importing Excel spreadsheets or CSV files for recommendations on how to set up Excel and CSV files.

Files with incorrect metadata

If the file contains incorrect metadata, the solutions depends on your type of datafile.

• The first step would be to contact whoever provided the data file and provide them with specifications for creating a good data file. It is appropriate to give them the datafile specifications below.
• If you are wanting to fix it yourself, and workin with an SPSS file .sav, you'll need to use software such as SPSS or Q to fix the data to meet SPSS Data File Specifications.
• If you are working with an Excel file, this is easier to fix yourself. See: Importing Excel spreadsheets or CSV files