UW Libraries - Foster Business Library - Simmons Choices II Tutorial

Running a search in Choices II results in a table consisting of rows, columns, and sometimes bases. Before running a search, think about how you want the data to appear and determine which items will go in rows and which in columns. Generally, categories with the most items should go in rows. [1]
The easiest way to learn how to use Choices II is to try a few practice searches. Try the following exercise.
1. I'm marketing a new brand of bottled spring water, and I want to know who my target market is and what magazines would be best for advertising this product.
This search should be done in two steps -- first identify the target market, then determine which magazines people in the target market are most likely to read or subscribe to.

In the Worksheet area, click on Rows/Media.
In the Data Access area, click on Dictionary.
In the Dictionary window click on Demographics, then select Sex (red item).
Male, Female should appear in the Answer Grid.

Select Male, Female and click on OK to insert them in the Worksheet .
Under Demographics in the Dictionary, click on Age (red item).
In the Answer Grid, scroll down and click on the following age ranges:
18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54.
Click on OK to insert them in the Worksheet . If you click in the Worksheet area, you should see 6 items listed as rows.

In the Worksheet area, click on Columns.
In the Data Access area, type in Water in the box, then click on Search. Select Water in the Keyword Selection window.
This opens up the Dictionary. Scroll down in the Dictionary to the heading Drinks.
Select Non-Carbonated Bottled Spring Water, then Non-Carbonated Bottled Spring Water Use? (red item).
In the Answer Grid, select Yes and click OK.

[1] It may help to look at a volume of the print version of Simmons Study of Media and Markets in the Foster Reference Collection (HF5415.3 .S78.) [Back]