This article provides comprehensive information about System Data in EFS People, including its purpose, types, and usage in panel management.
Collecting Data with EFS People
System Data
In addition to personal data such as last name, first name, and address, so-called system data are stored automatically for all panelists. They are used to collect meta information on the panelists and make it available to the administrator, for example:
- How did the panelist join the panel? Did they register themselves, were they imported by an administrator, or were they added during a “Canvass friends” campaign?
- When did they participate in the master data survey, and how often were they invited to participate in the survey?
- How many panel surveys has the panelist completed?
System data are used in several places in the EFS Panel admin area. For example, you can use the panel status (“pstatus”), the way of entry (“reg_code”) or the pseudonym as criteria for panelist searches. Furthermore, the variables are included in the master data export and can be used for evaluation purposes.
Overview of System Data
The following table provides a detailed overview of system data variables:
| Variable name | Variable name in the SPSS and Excel export data record | Meaning | Data type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pseudonym | pseudonym | Encoded unique panelist ID, which is required e.g. to match result data and master data in SPSS. | int | 11 placesThreshold values:-2147483648 bis 214748364 |
| pstatus | pstatus | Panel status. | tinyint | 4 |
| pinput | pinput | Mode of entry. Describes the type of registration. It is automatically allocated by the system. The following modes of entry are used:1: Other event2: Data import4: Moderator entry8: Self-recruited16: Canvassed. Is allocated if the panelist accessed registration via a special tell-afriend link. If the usual registration keys are used in the tell-a-friend mail, the panelist will be allocated to the „self-recruited“ mode.32: TestPlease mind: The mode of entry should not be confused with the ways of entry stored in the variable “reg_code”. With user-defined ways of entry, you can describe in more detail how panelists with entry mode 1, 2, 8 and 16 entered the panel. | tinyint | 4 |
| pcredit_points | pcredit_points | The current total sum of bonus points. | decimal | 10,2 |
| pstatus_date | pstatus_date | The last change in panel status. Only set during manual import. | datetime | |
| deprecated: last_poll_date | last_poll_date | The date the panelist last participated in a survey. Gets updated when the last page of apanel survey is reached.From EFS 6.0, the new tracking function provides you with more precise information. | datetime | |
| deprecated: n_poll | n_poll | The number of surveys in which the panelist has participated so far. Updated each time the final page of a panel survey is reached.From EFS 6.0, the new tracking function provides you with more precise information. | int | 11 (see above) |
| doub_stat | doub_stat | The duplicates status:0: Not checked1: No10: Duplicate alert | tinyint | 4 |
| penter_date | penter_date | The date of entry into the panel. Technically this is the point in time at which the panelist’s profile is created during the import process or manual entry. | datetime | |
| panelist_code | panelist_code | Panelist codes make it possible to log in directly into the panel. | binary | 40 |
| md_status | md_status | The panelist’s status in the master data survey.11: Assigned. But not yet invited12: Invited31: Completed surveyThe system variable “md_status” should not be confused with the disposition code:md_status indicates if the respective panelists have already participated in any master data survey, doesn’t matter which one.The disposition code is a project-specific variable. It indicates if and how far the panelists have completed a specific master data survey to which they were allocated. | tinyint | 4 |
| md_update_date | md_update_date | Date of the last update to the master data survey. | datetime | |
| md_num_updates | md_num_updates | The number of times the panelist has participated in the master data survey. | mediumint | 8 |
| md_invite_date | md_invite_date | The date of the invitation to the master data survey. | datetime | |
| md_num_invites | md_num_invites | The number of invitation mails sent for the master data survey. | int | 11 (see above) |
| reg_code | reg_code | Way of entry.With user-defined ways of entry, you can describe in more detail how panelists with entry mode 1, 2, 8 and 16 (variable “reg_code”, see above) entered the panel.Panelists with entry mode 4 and 32 are automatically allocated to the default way of entry. | int | 11 (see above) |
| invited_by | invited_by | If the panelist was invited to participate during a “Tell-a-friend” campaign, this field will contain the ID of the panelist who canvassed them. | Int | 11 (see above) |
| date_last_login | date_last_login | Date of the last time the panelist logged in. | datetime | |
| pci | pci | PCI value. | tinyint | 4 |
| site_id | site_id | Language version. For identification of the various language versions of the website(s). | Int | 11 (see above) |
| last_mod_date | last_mod_date | The date of the last change. | datetime | |
| last_mod_user | last_mod_user | Initiator of the last change:1: Panelist (via panel website)2: Panelist (via survey)3: Moderator4: Import5: External system, i.e. via web services, for example.6: API. i.e. changes via programming interface or via special programming for the panel registration.7: Update rule8: Project test | tinyint | 1 |
| dropout_date | dropout_date | Leaving date of a panelist. | datetime | |
| mail_validation_ status | mail_validation_ status | Status of the double opt-in e-mail verification:0: unknown1: not verified2: verified3: New verification required. This is set, when a candidate joins the panel or when the e-mail address of a panelist is changed. | tinyint | 1 |
| mail_validation_ code | mail_validation_ code | E-mail verification code. | binary | 32 |
| marked(not contained in the export data record) | (not contained in the export data record) | Indicates whether notes have been made on the panelist in the Panelists administration or Panelists administration → Candidates menu. | tinyint | 1 |
| member_id(not contained in the export data record) | (not contained in the export data record) | An auxiliary variable for calculating the pseudonym. | int | 11 (see above) |
| remote_addr(not contained in the export data record) | (not contained in the export data record) | The IP address used by the panelist during registration. | 11 | |
| remote_host(not contained in the export data record) | (not contained in the export data record) | The domain from which the panelist entered the panel during registration. |
FAQ
What is the difference between “pinput” and “reg_code”?
“pinput” (mode of entry) is automatically allocated by the system and describes the type of registration. “reg_code” (way of entry) allows for more detailed description of how panelists entered the panel, especially for entry modes 1, 2, 8, and 16.
How is the “md_status” different from the disposition code?
“md_status” indicates if panelists have participated in any master data survey, while the disposition code is project-specific and indicates how far panelists have completed a specific master data survey they were allocated to.