Knowledge Base

Check the Event Log for Errors

Aim

To check you scored your observation correctly so that you can analyze it.

Background

Errors in an event log may occur when, for example, you edited the event log and accidentally removed start codes but not the associated stop codes, or when you did not score all compulsory modifiers. Event logs with errors cannot be visualized or analyzed.

Procedure

1. Click the Check Event Log button on the Observation toolbar.
2. The Check Observation window opens with a list of the errors.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Correct event log errors automatically
   • Correct event log errors manually

How Event Log Errors Are Indicated

• An observation that contains an event log with errors has a warning sign next to its name in the Project Explorer.
• The event rows with errors are highlighted in red. Hover with the mouse over a row for details of the error.

Correct Event Log Errors Automatically

Aim

To let The Observer XT automatically correct event log errors.

Errors That Can Be Corrected Automatically

• Missing stop codes – These will be added.
• Stop codes without a corresponding start code – These will be deleted.
• Gaps in a mutually exclusive and exhaustive behavior group – These will be corrected. If no initial state event was scored, it will be added. If there is a gap further on in the event log, it will be corrected by extending the behavior that was active before the gap.
• Missing combinations – If you removed combinations between subjects and behaviors or behaviors and modifiers in your coding scheme while these have been scored in an observation, the events with these combinations will be deleted.

Procedure

1. Click the Check Event Log button on the Observation toolbar.
2. The Check Observation window opens with a list of the errors. Click the Fix Errors Automatically button.

Notes

• If you have multiple event logs within one observation, the event log checker checks for errors between all event logs, for example whether there are overlapping events. Such errors cannot be fixed automatically.
• If you find many errors in the event log, this could be caused by an accidental change in the coding scheme, such as the removal of a subject-behavior combination. See Define Subject Properties.

Correct Event Log Errors Manually

Important: Always make a backup of your project before editing data. See Create a Backup of a Project.

Replace an Element in the Event Log

• Click its cell in the Event Log and then score the correct element.

Delete an Element in the Event Log

• Click its cell in the Event Log and press Delete.

Add an Element to a Scored Event

Example: Add one more Modifier Value to the Behavior 'Initiate Play'.

1. Click the cell where you want to add the element. The Codes window displays the elements that you can add in that cell.
2. Either type in the keycode for the new element or click the code in the Codes window. The new modifier is added in a new cell that was inserted under the cell you wanted to edit.

Add a New Event Row in the Event Log

Example: To add an event between the event scored at 1.72 and the event scored at 4.36.

1. Click the row immediately above where you want the new row (in this example, the header of the row with 1.72).
2. Click the Insert Event button on the toolbar. Alternatively, right-click in the event row and select Insert Event Above or Insert Event Below. A new empty event is added below the selected row with the same timestamp as the selected row.
3. Score the data as usual. If necessary, change the timestamp (see Change the Time of a Scored Event).

If you score events from a video file, you can also insert a line as follows:

1. Position the video to the moment where the event occurs.
2. Score the event as usual. The new event line is inserted between two existing lines.

Remove Event Rows from the Event Log

1. Click the left-most cell of the row or rows you want to delete. The entire row is highlighted in black.
2. Click the Delete Event button on the toolbar.

Change the Time of a Scored Event

Example: You scored an event slightly later or earlier than the actual time. Instead of deleting and re-scoring the event, change the time of the existing record.

1. Locate the event line you want to change and double-click the cell in the Event Time column. The time cell is highlighted in blue.
2. Click the number you want to change and type the new time, or use the two arrow buttons to adjust its value.
3. Press Enter.

• Tip: Alternatively, use the Update Time option. Click the left cell of the event line to select it, move the video or audio to the correct time, and press Ctrl+T to update the timestamp in the Event Log. You can also right-click the row and select Update Time.
• The new timestamp cannot be earlier or later than the timestamp of the previous or next event from the same Behavior group.