3.3 Exploring datasets
The labelled package provides a simple helper function look_for() for finding variables with either variable or value labels matching a search term in your dataset.
Some simple examples are included below. For a more detailed rundown of the look_for() function see the vignette.
# Find variables with "medical" in the label
look_for(gss, "medical")
#> pos variable label col_type values
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr>
#> 314 HELPSICK Should govt help pay for medical ca… dbl+lbl [0] IAP
#> [1] GOVT SHOULD HE…
#> [3] AGREE WITH BOTH
#> [5] PEOPLE HELP SE…
#> [8] DK
#> [9] NA
#> 390 INTMED Interested in medical discoveries dbl+lbl [0] IAP
#> [1] Very interested
#> [2] Moderately int…
#> [3] Not at all int…
#> [8] DONT KNOW
#> [9] NA
#> 498 MEDDOC X should go to general medical doct… dbl+lbl [0] IAP
#> [1] YES
#> [2] NO
#> [8] DK
#> [9] NA
# Only provide basic details
look_for(gss, "income", details = FALSE)
#> pos variable label
#> <int> <chr> <chr>
#> 15 ABPOOR Low income--cant afford more children
#> 16 ABPOORW Wrong for woman to get abortion if low income?
#> 130 CONINC Family income in constant dollars
#> 136 CONRINC Respondent income in constant dollars
#> 209 EQWLTH Should govt reduce income differences
#> 252 FINRELA Opinion of family income
#> 369 INCGAP Income differentials in usa too big
#> 370 INCOM16 R's family income when 16 yrs old
#> 371 INCOME Total family income
#> 372 INCOME16 Total family income
#> 373 INCUSPOP Estimated income status of housing unit
#> 722 REALINC Family income in constant $
#> 723 REALRINC R's income in constant $
#> 805 RINCBLLS Income alone is enough
#> 806 RINCOM16 Respondents income
#> 807 RINCOME Respondents income
#> 927 TAX R's federal income tax
# Search using a regular expression
look_for(gss, "medic(al|ation)", details = FALSE)
#> pos variable label
#> <int> <chr> <chr>
#> 314 HELPSICK Should govt help pay for medical care?
#> 390 INTMED Interested in medical discoveries
#> 498 MEDDOC X should go to general medical doctor for help
#> 532 MUSTMED X should be forced to take prescribed medication by law
#> 617 OTCMED X should take non-prescription medication
#> 813 RXMED X should take prescription medication
# Provide a variable summary as a tibble
gss %>%
look_for("medic(al|ation)") %>%
as_tibble()
#> # A tibble: 6 x 13
#> pos variable label col_type class type levels value_labels na_values
#> <int> <chr> <chr> <chr> <nam> <chr> <name> <named list> <named l>
#> 1 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NULL> <dbl [6]> <dbl [3]>
#> 2 390 INTMED Inte… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NULL> <dbl [6]> <dbl [3]>
#> 3 498 MEDDOC X sh… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NULL> <dbl [5]> <dbl [3]>
#> 4 532 MUSTMED X sh… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NULL> <dbl [5]> <dbl [3]>
#> 5 617 OTCMED X sh… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NULL> <dbl [5]> <dbl [3]>
#> 6 813 RXMED X sh… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NULL> <dbl [5]> <dbl [3]>
#> # … with 4 more variables: na_range <named list>, unique_values <int>,
#> # n_na <int>, range <named list>
# Provide a variable summary as a tibble with one row per value
gss %>%
look_for("medic(al|ation)") %>%
lookfor_to_long_format()
#> # A tibble: 32 x 13
#> pos variable label col_type class type levels value_labels na_values
#> <int> <chr> <chr> <chr> <nam> <chr> <chr> <chr> <named l>
#> 1 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [0] IAP <dbl [3]>
#> 2 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [1] GOVT SH… <dbl [3]>
#> 3 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [3] AGREE W… <dbl [3]>
#> 4 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [5] PEOPLE … <dbl [3]>
#> 5 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [8] DK <dbl [3]>
#> 6 314 HELPSICK Shou… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [9] NA <dbl [3]>
#> 7 390 INTMED Inte… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [0] IAP <dbl [3]>
#> 8 390 INTMED Inte… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [1] Very in… <dbl [3]>
#> 9 390 INTMED Inte… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [2] Moderat… <dbl [3]>
#> 10 390 INTMED Inte… dbl+lbl <chr… doub… <NA> [3] Not at … <dbl [3]>
#> # … with 22 more rows, and 4 more variables: na_range <named list>,
#> # unique_values <int>, n_na <int>, range <named list>