Michigan Questionnaire Documentation System (MQDS)

Abstract

The Michigan Questionnaire Documentation System (MQDS) is a powerful tool used to help create questionnaire documentation, with or without summary statistics, and other documentation based on the Blaise data model for a study. MQDS works by: 1. Analyzing the data model and its associated files, and then importing the Blaise metadata and data to the MQDS database; 2. Exporting that information to an eXtensible Markup Language (.xml) file; and 3. Rendering the needed elements via eXtensible Stylesheet Language (.xsl), and then generating HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Rich Text Format (.rtf) and Portable Document File (.pdf) formatted output. MQDS output is used for testing instruments, reviewing questionnaires, preparing documentation, and comparing questionnaires across data models or across studies. MQDS is also capable of providing summary statistics by reading in a Blaise database file and a corresponding Blaise data model and outputting the questionnaire with data file contents into an HTML, RTF, or PDF file format.