IDS Transposer: A Users Guide

Area of Science:

• Data Science
• Social Sciences
• Computer Science

Background:

• Longitudinal life-course data is crucial for research but stored in varied formats.
• Standardizing data formats, like the Intermediate Data Structure (IDS), aids cross-database analysis.
• Manual data translation into IDS is time-consuming and prone to errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the IDS Transposer, a software tool designed to automate the conversion of life-course data into the IDS format.
• To streamline the process of preparing individual-level longitudinal data for analysis.
• To enable database administrators to define custom data mappings to IDS.

Main Methods:

• The IDS Transposer software is utilized to automate data format conversion.
• The process involves mapping source data fields to the Intermediate Data Structure (IDS) specifications.
• The article provides a step-by-step example and detailed discussion of the tool's functionality.

Main Results:

• The IDS Transposer successfully automates the translation of data from various formats into the IDS.
• The software reduces the time and effort required for data standardization.
• It offers flexibility for database administrators to customize data representation within IDS.

Conclusions:

• The IDS Transposer is an effective solution for overcoming data format heterogeneity in life-course research.
• Automation of data translation accelerates the process of data analysis across multiple sources.
• The tool enhances data accessibility and comparability in longitudinal studies.