Matrix scales are frequently used several times: It may be that a specially developed scale is used several times in a survey or that a popular scheme such as, for example, school marks, crops up time and time again. The scale library available across the entire installation saves you the trouble of creating a scale repeatedly: You only need to create a frequently requested scaling scheme once in the scale library. From there you can import it into the matrix questions and then adapt it to the specific situation.
Imagine, for example, that in your survey you have evaluated the skills of ten wellknown football players each in a matrix question. For the purpose of evaluation, you choose the following scale:
'Football wizard – Good technique – Acceptable average – Useless – Don’t know'
Instead of rebuilding this scheme for each of the ten matrix questions only create the scale once in the scale library and then import it into the corresponding matrix questions.
Scale overview
To access the scale library, go to the Libraries → Scale library menu. Various icons allow to open these scales for viewing or editing as well as to copy or delete them.
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Read rights for show_scala are necessary for accessing the scale library. |
Creating a new scale in the scale library
Please proceed as follows:
Click on the Create scale button.
Enter the name plus a short description of the scale to be created, then click on Save.
As with Paste from Word, enter all desired scale options into the “Scale options” field. Each row in the input field is interpreted as an answer option.
Usually, the options are automatically numbered and encoded. If you want to specify your codes yourself, enter the desired value before each option, using a semicolon. Then, specify this separator in the “The separator for the code” field.
Confirm by clicking on Save.
In the next dialog, you can edit the new options or define graphical form elements.
From now on, you can use this scale when creating matrix questions.
Exporting a scale from a question into the scale library
As an alternative to creating a scale in the scale library, you can also export a scale from a question into the scale library.
In the question view, open the “Scale options” section.
Click on the Export scale button.
A pop-up window will prompt you to enter the title under which the scale is to be stored in the scale library.
After you have clicked OK to confirm, the scale will be stored. You will receive a message indicating that the operation was successful and can continue your work.
Inserting scales from the scale library into the questionnaire
All matrix questions containing a scale allow you to access the scale library:
To do so, open the “Scale options” section in the question view.
Click on the Import scale button.
A pop-up window will open. In it you can select scales from the scale library using a drop-down list.
Confirm by clicking on Save.
The desired scale will be inserted into your matrix question, and you can continue editing the characteristics as desired.