R help - Jan 2008 - recode() function results in logical output, not factor output

Dear R Users:
 
I have race-ethnicity groups identified in the factor variable Ethnic_G.
 
I need to collapse Ethnic_G into a new variable with only two factors, 1 (White,
non-Hispanic) and 2 (Minority).
 
As seen in the code and output below, the recoded race-ethnicity variable is put
into logical format, not factor format.
 
I've used library(car) and the package was updated.
 
Any ideas on how to fix this problem would be apprecidated.
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Best wishes.
 
Tom 
> #####################################################################> #
Task - recode Ethnic_G into two breakout groups, White-non-Hispanic> #       
and Other> class(Ethnic_G)[1] "factor"> print(Ethnic_G) [1] B A
I U W W B W H W N W W B A B H W A H W B I N ILevels: A B H I N U W>
Ethnic_G.Character <- as.character(Ethnic_G)> class(Ethnic_G.Character)[1]
"character"> print(Ethnic_G.Character) [1] "B"
"A" "I" "U" "W" "W"
"B" "W" "H" "W" "N"
"W" "W" "B" "A" "B"
"H" "W" "A" "H" "W"
"B" "I" "N" "I"> Ethnic_G.Recode
<- recode(Ethnic_G.Character, "c(W)='1';
else='2'",+   as.factor.result=TRUE)> class(Ethnic_G.Recode)[1]
"logical"> print(Ethnic_G.Recode) [1] NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA>
#####################################################################

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On 1/7/2008 3:32 PM, Thomas MacFarland wrote:
> Dear R Users:
>  
> I have race-ethnicity groups identified in the factor variable Ethnic_G.
>  
> I need to collapse Ethnic_G into a new variable with only two factors, 1
(White, non-Hispanic) and 2 (Minority).
>  
> As seen in the code and output below, the recoded race-ethnicity variable
is put into logical format, not factor format.
>  
> I've used library(car) and the package was updated.
>  
> Any ideas on how to fix this problem would be apprecidated.
   In your call to recode(), use 'W' rather than 'c(W)' to
specify the
White-non-Hispanic category:

 > recode(Ethnic_G.Character, "'W'=1; else=2",
as.factor.result=TRUE)
  [1] 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2
[24] 2 2
Levels: 1 2

OR

 > recode(Ethnic_G.Character, "'W'='White-non-Hispanic';
else='Minority'", as.factor.result=TRUE)
  [1] Minority           Minority
  [3] Minority           Minority
  [5] White-non-Hispanic White-non-Hispanic
  [7] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
  [9] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
[11] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
[13] White-non-Hispanic Minority
[15] Minority           Minority
[17] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
[19] Minority           Minority
[21] White-non-Hispanic Minority
[23] Minority           Minority
[25] Minority
Levels: Minority White-non-Hispanic

   Also, you can recode the factor directly without converting it to 
character:

 > recode(Ethnic_G, "'W'='White-non-Hispanic';
else='Minority'",
as.factor.result=TRUE)
  [1] Minority           Minority
  [3] Minority           Minority
  [5] White-non-Hispanic White-non-Hispanic
  [7] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
  [9] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
[11] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
[13] White-non-Hispanic Minority
[15] Minority           Minority
[17] Minority           White-non-Hispanic
[19] Minority           Minority
[21] White-non-Hispanic Minority
[23] Minority           Minority
[25] Minority
Levels: Minority White-non-Hispanic
> Thanks in advance!
>  
> Best wishes.
>  
> Tom 
>>
#####################################################################> # Task
- recode Ethnic_G into two breakout groups, White-non-Hispanic> #        and
Other> class(Ethnic_G)[1] "factor"> print(Ethnic_G) [1] B A I U
W W B W H W N W W B A B H W A H W B I N ILevels: A B H I N U W>
Ethnic_G.Character <- as.character(Ethnic_G)> class(Ethnic_G.Character)[1]
"character"> print(Ethnic_G.Character) [1] "B"
"A" "I" "U" "W" "W"
"B" "W" "H" "W" "N"
"W" "W" "B" "A" "B"
"H" "W" "A" "H" "W"
"B" "I" "N" "I"> Ethnic_G.Recode
<- recode(Ethnic_G.Character, "c(W)='1';
else='2'",+   as.factor.result=TRUE)> class(Ethnic_G.Recode)[1]
"logical"> print(Ethnic_G.Recode) [1] NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA>
#####################################################################
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Watch ?Cause Effect,? a show about real people making a real difference.
> 
> 	[[alternative HTML version deleted]] 
> 
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