066000000000000132000000000000000 11 21 F0110030001 9[...................................................]0010 € INTERVUE: The Question and Answer Program Copyright (c) 1988 by Tyson Gill Atari ST version 1.0 INTRODUCTION INTERVUE was first developed to support a psychological study. This study required a rather complex interview yet it was desirable to eliminate any effect of a human interviewer. The program had to perform an "intelligent" interview and accumulate and present the results. The program was written in a general fashion to allow a non-programmer psychologist to define and analyze the interview. It succeeded in providing a tool for intelligent and neutral psychological testing. It also offered the benefits of consistency and self documentation. The system can be used to survey and compile statistics on a population or it can be used to examine an individual in detail. While INTERVUE does not have the same sophistication of decision making capability as a true expert system, it is just like an expert system for multiple choice applications. It 'becomes' the interviewer and responds the same way the expert would. The INTERVUE program can be applied to a wide range of other question and answer type applications. Here are some examples: * Telephone surveys The phone interviewer can use the program to direct the interview session and compile results. * Marketing studies INTERVUE can be used to conduct unbiased and intelligent marketing studies. * Intelligence testing The program can conduct and score non-traditional tests designed to examine such things as decision making ability. * Pre-interview questionnaires Instead of a standard question list, most of which may not apply, INTERVUE can be used to ask intelligent questions and probe for specific information. * Expert system applications Intervue is a very easy to use expert system for knowledge bases which can be defined by a multiple choice tree. One example would be a diagnostic expert system for troubleshooting. * Games INTERVUE can be utilized for planning and layout of complex adventure games. € Distribution INTERVUE is distributed as Shareware. You are therefore encouraged to copy and give it to your associates and friends. If you useINTERVUE, please send $25 or more to register your copy. After you register, the author will be happy to provide support and update information. Send Intervue registration fee to... Tyson Gill 12114 Kirton Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44135 Disclaimer The author knows of no problems that could arise from theuseof INTERVUEorSESSION. However, the author makes no warranty ofany kind in respect to this document and the programs it describes. The user assumes any risk as to the quality and performance of the programs. In no event will the author, Tyson Gill, be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the performance and use of this program. OVERVIEW INTERVUE can be most easily described as an editor and a giver of multiple choice examinations (or, more generally, interviews). However, the real power of INTERVUE lies in it's routing capability. Please refer to the figure on the following page. The standard multiple choice test is diagramed at the top of the figure where each question, with up to five choices for answers, is presented in succession. INTERVUE has a special option to create this structure called 'Sequential Routing'. The most general structure is generated with 'Auto Routing' where each possible answer leads to a different following question. INTERVUE automatically selects the node number (a node is a question and 5 answer set) to which each answer routes. In addition, INTERVUE allows you to specify any node number (Jump to node...) for complete routing flexibility. Note: The program always reserves enough node numbers to accommodate the most general structure so that you can always re-edit the tree. For example, in the case of the sequential routing shown in the diagram, question 1 (and it answers) corresponds to node 1, question 2 to node 2, and question 3 to node 7. Nodes 3-6 are set aside in case you later wish to change the flow (routing) to auto. The INTERVUE package consists of two parts. The first part is the INTERVUE DESIGNER. The DESIGNER program allows the expert to create the interview. The second program, INTERVUE SESSION, performs the actual interview and is purposely kept simple to make it easy and non-intimidating for use by those who are unfamiliar with computers. € An Intervue database can be transferred to any machine supporting the software. For instance, an interview designed on an Atari ST can be edited, executed, or analyzed on the IBM version as well. Several additional features are under consideration for this program, such as the ability to display animations as well as static pictures, display of other picture formats, enhanced results analysis and reporting, etc. Designer automatically creates a folder named INTERVUE to store your interview if it does not already exist. It also creates the files INTERVUE.IDX and INTERVUE.REC, if they do not already exist and loads these when it starts. The size of the record file will be 1100 bytes per defined node. You may create and load a data base folder under any name you like, but we recommend you use the default name if possible since then you get the fastest possible access time. Also, the Session program expects to read the database from a folder named INTERVUE when it starts up. Therefore, you must copy or create an INTERVUE folder onto your SESSION working disk(s) with the two database files in this folder. Hard disk users who design many different interviews will find it convenient to create separate folders from within DESIGNER and to copy the contents of these folders to the INTERVUE folder of different SESSION working disks (one working disk for each database). Generally, for security reasons, you will probably not want to run SESSION from a hard disk except for testing an interview yourself. After you have created your data base with DESIGNER, copy the INTERVUE folder to your session disk. If your interview links to any other data bases, copy these folders over as well. In addition, copy any PI2 or PI3 picture files required by the interview into the folder(s). All of these folders must be in the same directory. The first session data base folder must be named INTERVUE!! SESSION.PRG automatically creates report files when necessary and appends to them at the end of each session. These files are located in the INTERVUE folder. 1. SCORES.DAT Scores and response times for each session. Useful for listing, comparing and tabulating scores and response times by user. 2. TALLY.DAT Cumulative number of times each answer was chosen. Useful for polling or survey applications. 3. AUDIT.DAT Cumulative audit history for each session. This allows inspection of any particular session in detail. Because of the large variety of things that different users may wish to do with the results files, they are stored in ASCII format for easy importing into a word processor, spreadsheet, or data base. The file formats are given in the appendix. € INTERVUEDESIGNER The INTERVUE system will address 32,000 nodes per folder. A node is a question and answer set. Since each node requires 1100 bytes of disk storage, you should be able to fit about 500 nodes on a double sided floppy disk. Each node consists of one five line question and up to five two line answers. Questions with more than five alternatives must be broken into multiple questions. The system stores all information in a database file (INTERUE.REC) which has an associated index file (INTERUE.IDX). The .REC file contains all of the questions, answers and link pointers. In addition, the SESSION program creates and uses additional .DAT files to store results of interview sessions. For further details, refer to the introduction and the appendix. DESIGNER is used to input the question tree and to edit the interview database. A description and explanation of the specific options follows. Some options are keyboard only and some are menu bar only. Those that can be operated either way are indicated. Desk Menu: Credits Displays program credits and copyright information. File Menu: open/create Opens (and creates if necessary) an INTERVUE database folder. You only need to selectthis option if you use separate sub-bases (see the 'Link to'option) or wish to have more than one interview on a singledisk. A default folder named INTERVUE is openedautomatically when theprogram is loaded. flush cache Designer utilizes a disk cache whereby nodes are accumulated in RAM and only stored to disk occasionally. This speeds data access but means that your data is susceptible to loss.The flush option allows the user to force a save of all current data. The data normally is saved when the cache is full or the program is exited. Never shut off the computer without first exiting the program. If cache has not been flushed, data could be lost. store macro Macros allow easy reproduction of frequently used node configurations. For example, suppose you are creating an ordinary true-false test. All nodes will then have only two active answers with theother three turned off (see flow menu). It will be mucheasier to set up the first node and then store the setup as amacro to be recalled at each successive node. Designerallows up to five node configurations to be storedas macros. When this function is selected, the dialog box willappear to allow you to assign an identifier number to themacro. € recall macro The Macro dialog box will appear to allow you to select the previously saved macro(configuration) which you want for the current node. Ifno macro has been stored for a particular number, thatnumber will be "ghosted" to indicate that it is unavailablefor recall. quit to TOS This option flushes the cache, closes all files and exits to the operating system normally. An alert box will appear to check if you really wish to quit. Always exit program this way in order to insure the integrity of the database files. Flow Menu: sequential When the sequential mode is set (indicated by check mark), each answer of a node leads to the same subsequent node. A standard multiple choice test is an example of this simple type of routing. answer off/on When less than five possible answers are desired, one or more can be disabled (eliminated). If a previously disabled answer is currently selected, this item allows it to be reactivated (enabled). auto routing This resets the normal (default) routing in which each answer is automatically assigned a unique node. Thus each of the possible answers to the question leads to a different subsequent question. jump to node... This option allows you to route an answer to any node in the tree. You will need to knowthe number of the node to which you wish to jump. Itis helpful to use pencil and paper when creating fairlycomplex trees involving numerous jumps. Jot downthe numbers of the nodes to which you will want tojump as you create them to save searching through thetree later. link to file... This option permits you to route the answer to another database. This allowsbreaking up a tree into sections (sub-databases).You must know the name of the folder you wish theanswer to route to. exit answer This option makes the answer an exit point. If an exit answer is selected during a session, the interview will end at that point. ^G Goto... This is an immediate goto. That means that this option is used to jump to a specific node to edit while in the Designer program (as opposed to the "jump to node" option which sets the routing which will be followed by the Session program). The Goto command is a shortcut to 'walking the tree' by means of the ">>" and "<<" buttons on the screen. € Setup Menu: screen titles... This feature allows the user to enter in two title lines to appear on the upper left andupper right of the screen when the SESSIONprogram is running. Intro message... allows you to enter apage of introductoryinformation or directionsto be displayed at thestart of each session. Exit message... allows you to enter apage of closinginformation or directions to be displayed at the endof each session. The dialog box used to enterthe text is identical for both selections except for the prompt. set score... This option allows a score value to be assigned to each possible answer fortabulation during asession. Any integer value between -32000and +32000 may beused, however, since32000 is also themaximum valueallowed for the total ofany session, it is recomended that valuesless than 100 be usedfor each answer. set graphic... This option permits a picture or illustration (in DEGAS PI2 or PI3 format) to be assigned to a question (node). This image will then be displayed duringa session with the question (F10 toggles the displaybetween the question screen and the picture). Designerdoes not include any picture display or editing capability.You should use one of the various graphics or "paint"programs for this purpose. Be sure you copy the picture files into the INTERVUE folder and that they are the correct format (PI3 for monochrome monitors, PI2 for medium resolution color monitors). Note that since Designer does not actually does not actually display the picture, it does not matter which monitor is used when creating an interview. Only the monitor used with Session will determine the required picture file type. Designer displays the name of the picture file in the right hand area of the status line if this option is enabled for the current node. text answer on/off This option allows the interviewee to enter text to be attached to his or her response to the question. Designer indicates in the center area of the status line if this option has been enabled for the current question (node). This feature significantly expands the range of user response. For example, it would allow for then inclusion of short answer essay type of questions in a test or specific responses to an "other" type of answer in a survey. Longer answer are permitted since Session allows the user to invoke the text answer as many times as desired for any question (for which this option has been enabled. € current node This option prints a description of the current node in the following format. Have you ever used a computer?------- Node: 1 1.No, never.< Auto: 2 2.Yes, occasionally.< Jump: 2 3.Yes, frequently.< Exit 4.< Off 5.< Off In this example, the current node number is printed at the top right and the associated question at the top left. The answers of the node are printed in order at the left. At the right, certain information is given for each answer. The first answer has auto routing and routes to node 2. The second answer routes to node 2 due to a 'Jump to node' specification (auto routing would have been to node 3). Answer three is an 'Exit Answer' and four and five are disabled. auto print This selection sets printing to automatic. Each time you move to a different node, that node will be printed. Format is three nodes printed on a page. ascii file This selection creates a file named INTERVUE.ASC (in ascii format) which contains the description of all of the nodes in the interview database. This file can then be used to transfer this information to other programs such as word processors. It is placed in the folder currently being used. Keyboard and Screen Buttons: (^X indicates [control]X ) ^P Previous node ( <<# ) This option displays the previous node. The answer which led to the current node is selected. ^N Next node ( #>> ) This option displays the node pointed to by the currently selected answer. ^Q Question ( Q# ) This option selects the question for editing. F1 - F5 ( Answer Buttons 1-5 ) The function keys F1 through F5 select the corresponding answer for editing or flow. Home This option is equivalent to 'Goto 1'. Undo This option restores currently selected block of text. € Help This option displays a short description of the keyboard controls. INTERVUESESSION To run a session, double click on SESSION.PRG. If no INTERVUE folder is found, an error message will bedisplayed. If the folder is found, the programwill display the Session Set-up dialog box. The timeout period isthe number of minutes the program will wait for a responseto a question. If no response occurs within the set amount oftime, the program terminates the current session and, ifcontinuous sessions has been selected, will return to the 'IntroMessage screen' shown below. If there is a need to identify eachuser, ask for ID should be selected. The 'Intro message screen' is the apparent beginning of the program to the interviewee since this is the point to which the program returns after each session is completed (or timed-out) in the continuous mode. Ordinarily the system operator or interviewer will bring the program through the initial setup section of the program. After any key is pressed, a dialogbox will appear requesting an ID number if the ask for ID option inthe set-up box was selected. If the skip ID option was selected, thisdialog box will be skipped and the program will proceed directly tothe main interview screen. The user can select available answers using the function keys F1-F5, the number keys 1-5 or by clicking the answer button with the mouse. SESSION will lead the subject through the interview until an 'end answer' or an unlinked answer is selected. If a picture has been linked to the node, the 'Picture' button will be visible and when selected (click on the button or press F10) the picture will be displayed. Clicking the mouse again (or F10) will bring back the question screen. Similarily, if text answer is enabled for the current node, the 'Text' button will be visible. Selecting'text' by clicking on it or pressing F9 will cause adialog box to appear in which the user can entertext. This may be donerepeatedly if a longer response is desired. The Undo key will cause SESSION to return to the previous question in case of a mistake. Pressing the Help key will display general instructions. When the session (interview) is completed, either by choosing an 'exit answer' (or dangling answer) or by pressing control C, the exit message screen is displayed. This message should contain any parting comments and, in the case of continuous unattended mode operation, instructions to leave the program in the 'intro message' screen by pressing any key. Of course the timeout feature will eventually do this as well. The timeout feature is designed to facilitate it's use in unattended applications such as polling surveys, computer store demonstrations, etc. It will restart at the 'Intro Message' if not used for a preset amount of time. The only exceptions to the timeout are the Help screen and the ID dialog box. € Response times in some studies may be as, or even more, important than the answers themselves. For instance, hesitation time may be particularly informative in a psychological study. Session automatically stores total and average response times in the SCORES.DAT file. The response time for each question is part of the AUDIT.DAT file.