If you have used Latent GOLD® before, you know that the program borrows variable names from data files used to build models. Often those variable names are descriptive enough to present, but other times they are not. In these cases, the Format Wizard provides two ways for you to add your own descriptions. For Latent GOLD Choice models that were developed using the Design and Data Wizards, the Format Wizard can pluck descriptions from your design and data files. For other cases, you can enter a simple list of your own descriptions, which will appear on wizard-generated tables and charts.
Latent GOLD Choice models built with the Design and Data Wizards
If you are working with a choice model and used StatWizards' Design and Data Wizards to create a design and organize your data file, the Format Wizard provides an easy way for you to get descriptive names from the workbooks the other wizards produced. In Step 4, as shown below, the Format Wizard displays a check box that lets you select this feature. Checking the box leads to a prompt for your data workbook, at which point the Wizard retrieves any descriptive names you might have.
To see the results of this formatting, click here.
Entering a list with your own descriptions
Regardless of what model you estimated and whether you use other StatWizards programs, we have provided another simple means of letting you add variable descriptions. Before running the Format Wizard, go through the following steps:
Open a blank worksheet in Excel.
In cells A1 and B2, enter the headings Variable and Description, respectively. Save this file if you want.
Beneath these headings, list in column A the variable names used in your model. Include attributes, indicators and covariates.
In column B, list the descriptions you want to
appear in tables and charts. For
the shoe example that we employ throughout the tutorial, we might enter
a list like the following
Run the Format Wizard with the above list displayed. In the new workbook the Wizard is about to create, it will substitute the descriptions in column B for the variable names in column A.
Another way of entering a variable description list
If you don't want to create a separate workbook, you can accomplish the same thing by pausing at the end of Step 3, just after you imported a Latent GOLD run. Here's how it works.
At the end of Step 3, click the Finish button to exit the wizard. You should see your new workbook.
From Excel's main menu, select Insert | Worksheet.
Move the new worksheet to the end (far right), after all other worksheets.
Fill out the worksheet the same list of variables and descriptions that you entered above.
Rename the worksheet Variables.
Run the Format Wizard, which should pick up at Step 4 just as it normally would. The Wizard will use the information from the new Variables sheet as a lookup table.
Results from adding variable descriptions
The descriptions you entered should make charts and tables easier to read. For example, if you are formatting a choice model, the Importance sheet will contain your new descriptive names, ...
as will the associated chart.
For all models, tables in the Profile sheet contain the same descriptive names.
Notice that the names were added in a blue font. Changes to any blue name will propagate to the ProbMeans sheet (though not to the chart names; those must be edited manually).
The accompanying charts contain the descriptive names, as well, and are accordingly more fit for presentation.
Finally, the ProbMeans sheet contains the same names, which are linked by formula to the names in the Profile sheet.
As you can see, making use of the variable description feature can render your tables and charts easier to interpret and more suitable for management presentations.