Blaise
A short description of the current status
Statistics Netherlands
February, 2007
History
– Blaise started mid eighties of last century
(1985) after a large project on ‘data
checking and editing’
– Goal: provide software for easier handling
of data entry of paper forms
– Key words: decentralisation,
standardisation and integration
History – cont’d
– Designed and implemented by methodology
department
– Named after Blaise Pascal (1623- 1662)
– Blaise can be characterised as an integrated
system to collect and process data
– Microsoft® Windows® based
– Blaise is especially suited for usage by NSI’s
and research institutes
Versions
1986
1989
1994
1998
1999
2001
2003
Blaise 1. CADI
Blaise 2. CAPI en CATI
Blaise III. Object Oriented redesign!
Blaise 4 Windows. Conversion from DOS to Windows!
Blaise Internet Services 1.0
Blaise Component Pack 1.0
Blaise 4.6
Blaise Component Pack 2.0
Blaise Internet Services 2.0
2005 Blaise 4.7 Enterprise *
2007 Blaise 4.8 Enterprise *
* Enterprise = Basic system + Internet + Components
What is Blaise good at?
– Powerful rules that can handle large and
complex questionnaires
– Generated screen layouts: not needed to
define every screen
– Easy navigating in a questionnaire
– Multi mode (CADI-CAPI-CATI-CASI-CAWI)
based on one questionnaire definition
– Integration based on open architecture
Main parts of Blaise
– DEP (Data Entry Program: the interview
program)
– Manipula / Maniplus (data manipulation and
tailored interactive applications)
– CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone
Interviewing) management tools
– CAWI (WEB interviewing) tools
– Bascula (weighting of sample survey data)
– COM API (Application Programming Interface)
for accessing Blaise ‘internals’. Enables
integration in other systems
Examples of usage at SN
– All social survey based data collection (for
instance ‘Labour Force Survey’)
– Telephone unit (40 seats)
– Processing of Business Surveys (Impect)
– CBS-Iris (International Trade Survey)
– e-PS (CASI version of Production Survey)
– MesDesk (handles received messages and
files with statistical production data)
–…
International
– From early start on Blaise development was
discussed during conferences
– First user outside SN: ONS (London, 1989)
– Since 1992: International Blaise User Group
plus every 18 months an IBUC – International
Blaise Users Conference
– Since 1997: Westat distributor in US and
Canada
Users in…
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea,
United States
Status 1-1-2007
Corporate Customers
– ‘Corporate’ = ‘big’ user
– Majority is NSI. Currently: 34
– Organised in the B-Club (Blaise Corporate
License User Board)
– As a group they influence the development
agenda of Blaise at SN
Current Development
– Version 4.8. Currently in Beta
– Emphasis on Client-Server architecture.
Results in improved scalability and in Wide
Area Network (WAN) support
– Extensions to the WEB interviewing part of
Blaise
– New CASI tool for off-line data collection:
BASIL
Example
– Production Survey 2006
– Blaise questionnaires are generated from a
questionnaire database
– 180 different questionnaires for 70.000
businesses
– Respondents download from SN internet site:
– Blaise Questionnaire reader ‘CBSQuest’ (2MB)
– Blaise PS questionnaire (80KB)
– Used off-line
– Entered data returned to SN using encrypted
E-mail or HTTPS (secure upload)
Next Blaise Conference
Annapolis (near Washington DC)
September 26-28, 2007
Organised by the Survey Research Centre of the
University of Michigan
Visit www.isr.umich.edu/ibuc for details!
Further Information
For an evaluation copy or licensing mail to:
blaise@cbs.nl
or
blaise@westat.com
Information can be found at:
www.cbs.nl/blaise
www.westat.com/blaise
www.blaise.com