| Re: Difference DTA and SAV [message #25915 is a reply to message #25907] | 
			Tue, 03 January 2023 08:34    | 
		 
		
			
				
				
				
					
						  
						Bridgette-DHS
						 Messages: 3230 Registered: February 2013 
						
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					Senior Member  | 
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Following is a response from Senior DHS staff members, Tom Pullum and Trevor Croft: 
 
In CSPro, the package in which the data files are originally constructed, we have two different codes: 
 
1.	Blank  this is the not applicable code for use when a question is not applicable. 
 
2.	9 (or 99, 999, etc.)  this is the missing value code for use when a question is applicable, but a response was not given. 
  
9 (etc.) is used very rarely nowadays with CAPI, but was needed for paper questionnaires, and was used by data entry staff when a particular question was not NA but the interviewer forgot to enter a response. 
  
Usually in SPSS, blank is the system-missing value, and 9 is the user-missing value.  In Stata, usually both cases are converted to missing. 
  
We are surprised that the 9 shows up in the Stata file.  Perhaps the DTA file for this survey was not created in our usual way, which would convert the CSPro 'missing' to a dot in Stata. 
  
You are reading the Stata and SPSS files with R, and we believe the conversion to R is being handled in different ways. You will get agreement if, when you read the Stata file with R, you add a line to change the 9 to a dot. 
 
		
		
		
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