IAFILE= item anchor file

The IFILE= from one analysis can be used unedited as the item anchor file, IAFILE=, of another.

IAFILE= file name	file containing details
IAFILE = *	in-line list
IAFILE = $S1W1	field in item label

For polytomies (rating scales, partial credit), IAFILE= must have SAFILE=. The IFILE= and the SFILE= are really one file. For dichotomies, the SFILE= is uninformative, so it can be ignored. For polytomies, the IFILE= and the SFILE= form a pair, and so do the IAFILE= and the SAFILE=. For polytomies, anchoring with the IAFILE= without the SAFILE= is meaningless. The items are not completely anchored.

The item parameter values (deltas) can be anchored (fixed) using IAFILE=. Anchoring facilitates equating test forms and building item banks. The items common to two test forms, or in the item bank and also in the current form, can be anchored at their other form or bank calibrations. Then the measures constructed from the current data will be equated to the measures of the other form or bank. Other measures are estimated in the frame of reference defined by the anchor values.

IAFILE=? opens a Browse window

In order to anchor items, a data file must be created of the following form:

1. Use one line per item (or item range) to be anchored.

2. Type the sequence number of the item in the current analysis, a blank, and the measure-value at which to anchor the item (in logits if UASCALE=1, or in your user-rescaled USCALE= units otherwise). Arithmetical expressions are allowed.

Further values in each line are ignored. An IFILE= works well as an IAFILE=.

3. If the same item appears more than once, the first anchor value is used.

UIMEAN= and UPMEAN= are ignored when there are anchor values, IAFILE= or PAFILE=

Examples:

2 3.47 ; anchors item 2 at 3.47 logits (or USCALE= values)

10-13 1.3 ; items 10, 11, 12, 13 are each anchored at 1.3 logits

2 5.2 ; item 2 is already anchored. This item anchoring is ignored

1-50 0 ; all the unanchored items in the range 1-50 are anchored at 0.

Anything after ";" is treated as a comment.

IAFILE = filename

Item anchor information is in a file containing lines of format

item entry number anchor value

IAFILE=*

Item anchor information is in the control file in the format

IAFILE=*

item entry number anchor value

IAFILE=$SnnEnn or IAFILE=$SnnWnn or @Field

Item anchor information is in the item labels using the column selection rules. Blanks or non-numeric values indicate no anchor value.

Example 1: The third item is to be anchored at 1.5 logits, and the fourth at 2.3 logits.

1. Create a file named, say, "ANC.FIL"

2. Enter the line "3 1.5" into this file, which means "item 3 in this test is to be fixed at 1.5 logits".

3. Enter a second line "4 2.3" into this file, which means "item 4 in this test is to be fixed at 2.3 logits".

3. Specify, in the control file,

IAFILE=ANC.FIL

CONVERGE=L ; only logit change is used for convergence

LCONV=0.005 ; logit change too small to appear on any report.

or place directly in the control file:

IAFILE=*

3 1.5

4 2.3

CONVERGE=L ; only logit change is used for convergence

LCONV=0.005 ; logit change too small to appear on any report.

or in with the item labels:

IAFILE=$S10W4 ; location of anchor value in item label

CONVERGE=L ; only logit change is used for convergence

LCONV=0.005 ; logit change too small to appear on any report.

&END

Zoo

House 1.5 ; item label and anchor value

Garden 2.3

Park

END LABELS

To check: "A" after the measure means "anchored"

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|------------------------------------+----------+----------+-----+--------+--------------|

| 3 32 35 1.5A .05| .80 -.3| .32 .6| .53| .40| House |

Example 2: The calibrations from one run are to be used to anchor subsequent runs. The items have the same numbers in both runs. This is convenient for generating tables not previously requested.

1. Perform the calibration run, say,

C:> WINSTEPS SF.TXT SOMEO.TXT IFILE=ANCHORS.SF TABLES=111

2. Perform the anchored runs, say,

C:> WINSTEPS SF.TXT MOREO.TXT IAFILE=ANCHORS.SF TABLES=0001111

C:> WINSTEPS SF.TXT CURVESO.TXT IAFILE=ANCHORS.SF CURVES=111

Example 3: Score-to-measure Table 20 is to be produced from known item and rating scale structure difficulties.

Specify:

IAFILE=iafile.txt ; the item anchor file

SAFILE=safile.txt ; the structure/step anchor file (if not dichotomies)

TFILE=*

20 ; the score table

CONVERGE=L ; only logit change is used for convergence

LCONV=0.005 ; logit change too small to appear on any report.

STBIAS=NO ; anchor values do not need estimation bias correction.

The data file comprises two dummy data records, so that every item has a non extreme score, e.g.,

For dichotomies:

CODES = 01

Record 1: 10101010101

Record 2: 01010101010

For a rating scale from 1 to 5:

CODES = 12345

Record 1: 15151515151

Record 2: 51515151515