var_spec: Create variable and sample specifications for IPUMS microdata extract requests

Description

Provide specifications for individual variables and time use variables when defining an IPUMS microdata extract request.

Currently, no additional specifications are available for IPUMS samples.

Note that not all variable-level options are available across all IPUMS data collections. For a summary of supported features by collection, see the IPUMS API documentation.

Learn more about microdata extract definitions in vignette("ipums-api-micro").

Usage

var_spec(
  name,
  case_selections = NULL,
  case_selection_type = NULL,
  attached_characteristics = NULL,
  data_quality_flags = NULL,
  preselected = NULL
)
tu_var_spec(name, owner = NULL)
samp_spec(name)

Value

A var_spec, tu_var_spec, or samp_spec object.

Arguments

name

Name of the sample, variable, or time use variable.

case_selections

A character vector of values of the given variable that should be used to select cases. Values should be specified exactly as they appear in the "CODES" tab for the given variable in the web-based extract builder, including zero-padding (e.g. see the "CODES" tab for IPUMS CPS variable EDUC).

case_selection_type

One of "general" or "detailed" indicating whether the values in case_selections should be matched against the general or detailed codes for the given variable. Only some variables have detailed codes. See IPUMS USA variable RACE for an example of a variable with general and detailed codes.

Defaults to "general" if any case_selections are specified.

attached_characteristics

Whose characteristics should be attached, if any? Accepted values are "mother", "father", "spouse", "head", or a combination. Specifying attached characteristics will add variables to your extract that contain the values for the given variable for the specified household members. For example, variable "AGE_MOM" will be added if "mother" is specified for the variable "AGE".

For data collections with information on same-sex couples, specifying "mother" or "father" will attach the characteristics of both mothers or both fathers for children with same-sex parents, by adding variables with names of the form "AGE_MOM" and "AGE_MOM2".

data_quality_flags

Logical indicating whether to include data quality flags for the given variable. By default, data quality flags are not included.

preselected

Logical indicating whether the variable is preselected. This is not needed for external use.

owner

For user-defined time use variables, the email of the user account associated with the time use variable. Currently, only the email of the user submitting the extract request is supported.

Examples

Run this code

var1 <- var_spec(
  "SCHOOL",
  case_selections = c("1", "2"),
  data_quality_flags = TRUE
)

var2 <- var_spec(
  "RACE",
  case_selections = c("140", "150"),
  case_selection_type = "detailed",
  attached_characteristics = c("mother", "spouse")
)

# Use variable specifications in a microdata extract definition:
extract <- define_extract_micro(
  collection = "usa",
  description = "Example extract",
  samples = "us2017b",
  variables = list(var1, var2)
)

extract$variables$SCHOOL

extract$variables$RACE

# For IPUMS Time Use collections, use `tu_var_spec()` to include user-defined
# time use variables
my_time_use_variable <- tu_var_spec(
  "MYTIMEUSEVAR",
  owner = "example@example.com"
)

# IPUMS-defined time use variables can be included either as `tu_var_spec`
# objects or with just the variable name:
define_extract_micro(
  collection = "atus",
  description = "Requesting user- and IPUMS-defined time use variables",
  samples = "at2007",
  time_use_variables = list(
    my_time_use_variable,
    tu_var_spec("ACT_PCARE"),
    "ACT_SOCIAL"
  )
)

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