MethodBox:Design

Metadata
MethodBox uses a variety of metadata models:


 * To describe necessary information for the application
 * To describe information about the data or variables

In the following section we will describe the types of metadata that is available for variables.

The sources of metadata can be from the the following:


 * Rich metadata stored inside the MethodBox system
 * metadata stored inside the MethodBox system
 * where the datasource is well described (e.g. from the archive e.g. CCSR DDI)
 * where the datasource is just an uploaded csv file
 * metedata gleaned from the NESSTAR catalogue of the data provider (e.g. UKDA/ESDS)

Metadata examples
DNOFT Frequency drank any alcoholic drink last 12 mths Adults General Indiv/SC YP    This variable is  numeric, the SPSS measurement level is scale. SPSS user missing values = -999 thru -1 Value label information for dnoft Value = 1	Label = Almost every day Value = 2	Label = Five or six days a week Value = 3	Label = Three or four days a week Value = 4	Label = Once or twice a week Value = 5	Label = Once or twice a month Value = 6	Label = Once every couple of months Value = 7	Label = Once or twice a year Value = 8	Label = Not at all in the last 12 months KETSALTA How important - limiting salt - adults? Adult Knowledge and Attitudes SC 16yrs+ Some derivation method This variable is numeric, the SPSS measurement level is scale. SPSS user missing values = -999 thru -1 Value label information for ketsalta Value = -9	Label = Not answered (9) Value = -1	Label = Item not applicable Value = 1	Label = Very important Value = 2	Label = Quite important Value = 3	Label = Not very important Value = 4	Label = Not at all important There is a richer set of metadata in the MethodBox format although the information node (or values or value domains depending on what you want to call them) doesn't split them up into key value pairs like the ccsr format.
 * MethodBox format

     
 * CCSR metadata format - basically DDI