Approve/reject/test/expunge records

The Data button group includes additional batch data applets that allow users to approve, reject, expunge, or classify records as "test" records.

These applets work similarly to the Batch Update applet. See Batch Update for more information.

Approve records 

Clicking on the Approve Records button opens the Survey Approve Records applet. This applet is designed to allow PFM users to approve records from their panel, changing the system variable input of pfm_approve from '2' ("Awaiting") to '1' ("Approved"). An Instructions section (shown below right) provides a brief explanation of the applet and how to use it, including a list of the Filtering Options that may be applied in the Record Selector. If need be, multiple filter options may be applied at once; for Approve Records, the Record Selector defaults to filtering by IDs.

After applying the desired filter(s), the Existing Respondent Data section of the applet will automatically populate with the trans_id (Record IDs) of the respondents selected. Note that any records that require approval should display pfm_approve values of '2'. 

After reviewing the respondent data, click Next to continue.

The next page of the applet will display a full list of the Original Respondent Data and the Changes that will be occurring (changing the records from "Awaiting" to "Approved"). To confirm, click the confirmation checkbox and click the Approve Records button. The selected records will now show pfm_approve values of '1' in their data, and all open-ended responses for those respondents will now be viewable and exportable.

Reject records 

Clicking on the Reject Records button brings users to the Survey Reject Records applet. This applet works similarly to the Approve Records applet, but is used separately to reject any questionable records that are pending approval (pfm_approve status of '2'). Like Approve Records, this applet also defaults to filtering by IDs in the Record Selector.

Note that once a record has been rejected, records cannot be approved by PFMs, and an IntelliSurvey Project Manager must be contacted to reinstate the records.

After applying the desired Record Selector filter(s) and clicking Next, the user will be brought to a second screen similar to that on the Approve Records applet. Once the selected records have been reviewed, simply check the confirmation checkbox at the bottom of the screen and click the Reject Records button.

Classify as tests

The Classify as Tests button brings users to the Survey Classify Test Records applet. From this screen, PFMs may classify respondent records as manual test records by changing the testmode variable to a value of '3'. Records that are classified as manual test records are inaccessible to most reports and do not count towards quotas. Like the Accept Records and Reject Records applets, Classify as Test Records defaults to the IDs filter.

Note that once a record has been rejected, records cannot be approved by PFMs, and an IntelliSurvey Project Manager must be contacted to reinstate the records.

After the desired filter has been applied, the Existing Respondent Data section will be populated with the trans_id of the selected records and the testmode values of those records. Click Next to continue.

On the next page, note that all the selected records will be changed from testmode=0 (not Testmode data) to testmode=3  ("Manual test record"). After checking the confirmation checkbox and clicking Set Manual Test Records, the selected records will be reclassified as manual test records, rendering them inaccessible to reporting views outside of system variables and excluding them from all live data.

Expunge records

In the case that panels are used in which completed respondent records undergo quality reviews, the Survey Expunge Records applet may be used. This applet allows PFMs to remove invalid records, reclassifying them from 'C' (Completed) to 'X' (Expunged). These records will continue to exist in the dataset, but they will not count towards quotas nor will they appear in views of Completes. Unlike the other Batch Update applets, the Record Selector defaults to using both the Completed and IDs filters.

After applying the desired filters, the Existing Respondent Data will be populated with the respondent records chosen, each showing a status of 'C'. Click Next to continue.

Like the other Batch Update applets, users will have an opportunity to review the Original Respondent Data and what the data will be changed to (in this case, from 'C'/Completed to 'X'/Expunged). After checking the confirmation checkbox, clicking the Expunge Records button will remove these respondent records from all quotas as well as the main dataset for completed respondents.