A variable (OFFPOV400) I had created last year is no longer available (at least that I can see). Can it be restored? Thanks in advance.
Unfortunately, variables created in the online data analysis tool are not preserved between data releases. Moreover, since the created variable namespace is shared for all users, it is possible for a user to overwrite another user’s created variable. Since the current system does not allow for user-based variable storage or variable persistence between releases we do not recommend users depend on these created variables for ongoing research. The best option would be to create an extract and generate the variables in the statistical package of your choice. If you prefer to work in the online data analysis tool, I would recommend taking detailed notes of the created variables’ specifications to make reproducing the variables easier in the future.
I’m sorry I don’t have a better solution. I hope this helps.
Users of the online data analysis tool could previously access variables that we or others had created. That was immensely helpful and saved me from reinventing the wheel in creating a variable on multiple occasions. I’m curious about when this change was implemented, and more to the point, is there any way to restore this functionality?
With the upgrade to the latest version of the online data analysis tool (SDA), we have typically tried to retain user-defined variables. Note that this was previously not the case (see previous posts in this thread about the ephemeral nature of user-defined variables). During a recent update to the SDA data for IPUMS USA, all user-defined variables were removed as part of a process to deprecate a number or harmonized IPUMS variables from the tool. Unfortunately, we have no way to restore these variables.
Going forward, it is reasonable to assume that user-defined variables will generally be available for reference. That being said, it is important to note that these variables may be deleted when data for the SDA tool are updated, or may be changed if another user defines a variable with the same name and different criteria. If you have recodes that you use often or are particularly cumbersome to create, I suggest keeping a separate document of the recode criteria and code for your reference in the event that we are required to remove user-defined variables.