The instructions below will get you started quickly with jMetrik. For more detailed information on using jMetrik, see our Online User Guide.

  1. New users or returning users with no existing database: Start jMetrik and click Manage > New Database and type a name for the database in the dialog box that appears. The name is limited to 120 characters. Database names are limited to the characters A through Z, numbers 0 through 9 and the underscore character _. Any other characters will be automatically removed from your database name. Click the Create Button to have jMetrik create the database. Note that you only need one database because each database can contain an unlimited number of data tables. You may use multiple databases if it helps you organize your work but you should not create a separate database for every table.
  2. Import Data: If your database does not contain any tables, your next step is to import data. Click Manage > Import Data in the main menu. Type a name for the table n the Table Name text field. Table names are limited to 50 characters. Names can only include the characters A through Z, numbers 0 through 9 and the underscore character _. Any other characters will be automatically removed from your table name. Click the Browse Button to select a delimited file to import. You can only import files delimited by commas (CSV), tabs, colons, or semicolons. Comma delimited files are the default. If your file uses a different delimiter, select the appropriate one in the file dialog. jMetrik also expect your file to have variable names in the first row of your delimited file. If your file does not include variable names in the first row, select None under the Variable Names option in the file dialog. Click Browse to accept your selected file and continue. Type a description about your imported file in the Description Text Area. The description must be 1,000 characters or less. If you do not type a description a default one will be provided for you. Click the Import Button to import your data. Your data table will be displayed in jMetrik after a successful import.
  3. Analyze Data: Click the name of a table to run an analysis. You can run frequencies, descriptive statistics and graphs on imported data. To run a psychometric analysis such as an item analysis or DIF analysis, you must first provide item scoring information (e.g. the answer key). jMetrik has two new options for scoring items.
  4. Basic Item Scoring: Basic item scoring is a new feature in version 3. It provides a simple way for you to provide an answer to to jMetrik. Click Transform > Basic Item Scoring to start the scoring dialog. The first row of the table in this dialog is for the answer key. The second row is for the number of response options. The answer key is case sensitive. Type a letter or number for the answer key. For example, if you have a variable called “Item1” and it is a four option multiple-choice item with a correct answer of B, you would type “B” (without quotes) as the value in the first row for the column “Item1” and type “4” in the second row for this column. Repeat these steps for every item. Click the OK Button to process the answer key. If you need to make an edit to the key, restart the Basic Item Scoring dialog. It will be populated with any exiting information and you can make the necessary edits. Click the OK Button to process any changes you make.You must also provide Basic Item Scoring information for polytomous items such a Likert scale items in your data. The answer key (entry in the first row) for a polytomous item is a plus sign “+” (without quotes). The number of response options should be provided in the second row. The plus sign tells jMetrik that the item is scored from 1 to the number of response options. If you would like jMetrik to start the numbering with 0, the type a “+0” (without quotes) as the answer key in the first row. jMetrik will start the numbering at 0 and continue until it gets to the number of options minus one. To reverse code a polytomous item, use a minus sign “-” instead of a plus sign.
  5. Psychometric analysis: After you have provided the scoring information, you can run all of the psychometric procedures. Click a table name and then use the main menu to select the analysis to run.