Previously, I stumbled upon a ‘speed bump’ effect of the Pause script step in FileMaker scripts. That is, after a pause step, subsequent steps became slower. This post identifies five more steps with a similar effect. … More The Pause step and other speed bumps
All database and app design starts with knowing what they are about. What is the purpose, who are the users, which features are needed? In research, the answers are quite specifically shaped by, well, the research and its context. In this post, I will introduce three techniques to answer these questions, and point out why with me you are in good hands. … More Investigating client needs
Variety in data-editors During my work on the SWINNO project and its database I noticed how the assistants who did the data work, I call them data editors, have different strategies of entering data. Also, they know the rules that govern the entry of the variables in various degrees, they have different ways of dealing … More Variables in research databases need support
In both research and programming, variables need a name and contrary to what one might think, this is not a trivial thing. The only documentation is the name and perhaps some settings or formatting. I can come up with a minimal set of criteria for the naming of a variable. … More Good variable names
You’re likely to just start making your data with whatever software seems ‘natural’ to you. However, hold on for a moment, and consider the near future of your research project. Your table, notebook, network graph, or what have you, may quickly turn into a data hub. Perhaps you should consider a relational database. Basic pro’s … More Your data hub
Rubber Boots Data 