Question types

Recently used question types

The new question type dialog provides a "recently used" view, which contains up to ten last used question types per user. Since most surveys are using only a small subset of our question types, this speeds up the creation of a survey, by showing all recently used question types from different categories in a single view.

Text and image

The “Text and image” question type (998) allows you to freely enter text, images and, if necessary, HTML code. It is primarily used for inserting and layouting information texts. For the creation of questions, on the other hand, the “Text and image” question type is not suitable, as no variables are available.

Entry Dialog

You can use the TinyMCE editor for layouting texts. From HTML mails and various panel functionalities, you may already be familiar with the TinyMCE editor.

• TinyMCE is a modern WYSIWYG editor. WYSIWYG = what you see is what you get.

• If necessary, Edit HTML source provides direct access to the source code.

• If you do not want to use the TinyMCE editor, you can easily deactivate the feature in the menu Options → Personal preferences on the tab Behavior of questionnaire editor.

Insert code automatically

You can have HTML code inserted automatically for frequently used functions. To do so, select the desired function via the Insert code automatically drop-down list.

Integrating multimedia elements

The following features are available for the integration of multimedia elements:

Traditional formatting options

If you do not use the TinyMCE editor, the various formatting icons are located just above the input field.

Video Player

A dedicated video player is available! When creating new questions, the video player can be found in the category “Text and multimedia”.

• The videos are usually output with HTML5, Flash is used as fallback.

• The video player supports the video formats mp4, m4v, mov combined with the encoding process H.264 codec. If a selected file does not conform with the H.264 codec a warning is displayed.

• The maximum file size corresponds to the installation-specific maximum permitted size of files in the media library, which is currently 512 MB. However, for better performance the best practice for larger videos (e.g., file size of 500 MB) is the use of streaming services. The corresponding embed code can be embedded via question type 911.

• A dedicated variable allows to track if the participants have seen the video file completely, partially or not at all. The variable is created automatically. Per default, it is labelled “Video has finished playing”. The following missings are used:

  • -77 = not seen

  • -66 = no Javascript, cannot tell if played

  • -99 = seen, not played

  • 1 = seen and completely played

  • 0 = seen and partially played but not finished or played in repeat mode

• The “Responsive Layout” video player is realized based on question type 911 with a comparable functional scope.

Entry Dialog

The entry dialog is closely related to the entry dialog of question type 911.

• The “Answers” section is generated automatically. Please do not change anything in this section.

• The features of the “Detail configuration” section are explained in the Table below.

About the video player

The video player offered by EFS has a three-stage concept. First, it always tries to provide a native HTML5 player. This player requires videos in certain container formats (e.g. MP4). See here: https://www.w3schools.com/html/html5_video.asp

These container formats contain video tracks or sound tracks in certain formats (e.g. AVC for video and AAC for audio).

These formats should have been created with default settings (the so-called profile in a certain level). This is important if you want to have the highest possible support on different devices (e.g. Baseline@3.1). For example, there are profiles that work in desktop browsers but not on mobile devices, especially older ones, but still widely used. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Video_Coding#Profiles

If the format does not support HTML5, EFS tries to deliver a proprietary Flash player to play the video. Please note that support for all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge) has been discontinued and you may have to activate Flash manually (if at all possible). Adobe will also discontinue support for Flash 2020.

As a last option EFS provides the format for download. This is exactly what happens here, for example in Chrome. Firefox for example still asks if Fash should be activated.

In summary, you can say that videos in container format MOV should not be used if you want to cover as many browsers and devices as possible. Recommended here is the container format MP4 with AVC/AAC (Video/Audio) in Baseline@3.1 (Profil/Level).

Providing videos for mobile devices

You can provide these videos in different resolutions/qualities depending on which mobile device they will be used (e.g. on a 4K device that can process and display very high resolutions/quality settings or on a smartphone that can process/display rather lower resolutions/quality settings and is also limited by the bandwidth of mobile networks. The higher the resolution/quality of the video, the more data has to be transferred).

Audio Player

A dedicated audio player is available. When creating new questions, the audio player can be found in the category “Text and multimedia”.

• The audio player supports mp3 with mp3 extension.

• The maximum file size corresponds to the installation-specific maxium permitted size of files in the media library.

• A dedicated variable allows to track if the audio file has been played completely, partically or not at all. The variable is created automatically. Per default, it is labelled “Audio has finished playing”. The following missings are used:

  • 77 = not seen

  • 66 = no JavaScript, cannot tell if played

  • 99 = seen, not played

  • 1 = seen and completely played

  • 0 = seen and partially played but not finished or played in repeat mode

• The “Responsive Layout” audio player is realized based on question type 911 with a comparable functional scope

• During uploads, all files are immediately scanned for malware, before being moved to their final destination within the EFS platform. If a malware is found, the file is immediately removed from the temporary storage and the user is notified that the upload was not successful. This approach ensures that at no point malware can be distributed through EFS.

Entry Dialog

The entry dialog is closely related to the entry dialog of question type 911.

• The “Answers” section is generated automatically. Please do not change anything in this section.

• The features of the “Detail configuration” section are explained in the Table below.

Single response questions are used if only one of the possible answer can apply to the specific participant. Questions age, gender or income, for example, are usually single response questions. One single variable is sufficient to store the answer. A code is allocated to each answer option, and the code of the selected option will be stored in the variable.

Single response list (Vertical)

The vertical single response list is one of the most commonly used question types. This question type has the following content elements:

• Question text

• Fill-in instruction

• Help text

• Answer options 1-n

• Optional: Answer option with text entry field

• Optional: Inside titles 1-m

• Optional: Columns 1-o

Single Response List (Horizontal)

The Single response question type is optimized for measuring the Net Promoter Score (NPS).

• The answer options are in principle always displayed side-by-side (Desktop, Tablet, Widescreen). If you want the wrapping to occur at any position between the answer options, please stay with the familiar question types 112 and 113.

• On small displays (Mobile) the question type switches completely to a vertical display or to a drop-down list.

• Technically, the new question type is based on the familiar single response list (111).

Base Elements

• Question text

• Fill-in instruction

• Help text

• Answer options 1-n

Detail configuration

• Text alignment:

  • The answer options’ texts can be shown above or to the right of the radio button.

  • On Smartphone and Tablet, long texts or images are always displayed to the right hand of the radio button, without consideration of the text alignment settings.

• Display on mobile devices: On mobile devices the answer options can be displayed either as list or as drop-down list. The latter requires active JavaScript.

• Initial value: Text for the first option of the drop-down list. Default: “Please select”.

  • This text is only used if “drop-down list” has been set for display on mobile devices.

  • This option is automatically treated as a missing.

• Alternating rows: Display every second answer option with a different background color.

Alternative Layouts for Single Response Lists

The main difference between question types 112 / 113 and the question types described above is in their layout:

• Question type 112 Single response list (wrapping): Radio buttons and answer options are arranged horizontally in one line. If this question type is used in
  “Responsive Layout” context, the wrapping may occur at any position between the answer options dependent on screen width.

• Question type 113 Single response list (scale above, wrapping): The radio buttons are arranged horizontally, with the respective answer options above them. If this question type is used in “Responsive Layout” context, the wrapping may occur at any position between the answer options dependent on screen width.

Single response list with icons

The question type “Single response list with icons” allows to easily visualize answer options, by integrating e.g. smileys, thumbs for Yes/ No questions, dice, numbers, gender icons or other visual elements.

• When creating new questions in projects with “Responsive Layout”, you can find this question type in the “Single response” category.

• Depending on the screen width of the device used, the options will be displayed horizontally or vertically. Optionally vertical alignment can be enforced for all devices.

• When creating a new question, smileys are integrated automatically.

• You can resort to other predefined images in the Tivian library or upload your own images to the media library.

• Technically, the question type is based on the familiar single response list (111).

Base Elements

• Question text

• Fill-in instruction

• Help text

• Icons and texts for the answer options 1-n

Detail configuration

• Show answer texts: Per default, the texts of the answer options are used as Alt text. Optionally they can be displayed below the icons.

• Force vertical alignment: Per default, the display of the options depends on the screen width of the device used: For wide screens horizontal, for small screens vertical. Optionally vertical alignment can be enforced for all devices.

• Horizontal alignment: center, left, right.

• Minimum width of the images.

  • Minimum width for display of the images.

  • If the images don’t fit in line while respecting the minimum width, the view switches to vertical display.

  • Valid range: 50-1000 pixel. Default: 50 pixel.

• Maximum width of the images. Default: 100 pixel.

Drop-down list

With drop-down lists, issues will be examined, for which there is only one possible correct answer.

Base Elements

• Question text

• Fill-in instruction

• Help text

• Answer options 1-n

• Optional: Answer option with text entry field

It is not possible to create inside titles or several columns.

Entry dialog and question options

The entry dialog for configuring a drop-down list is on the whole identical with the entry dialog for question type 111. However the type “Inside title” and the column “New column” are missing.

The question type-specific question options are also largely identical, only “Dynamic column text wrap” and “Wrap item text” are missing. Characteristic for question type 131 and the following question type 132 is that the select box can be placed within, in front of or behind a text. To do so simply enter the desired text in the “Text around the select box” field and place the “%s” wildcard where you wish to insert the box into the text.

Open response list

Open response lists are used for questions to which there is only one possible correct answer. You have the option of setting any number of answer categories to be displayed.

Base Elements

• Question text

• Fill-in instruction

• Help text

• Answer options 1-n

Entry dialog and question options

The entry dialog for configuring a open response list is on the whole identical with the entry dialog for the question type 111. However, it is not possible to change the type of answer option: Only normal answer options are possible. Moreover, the column “new column” is not there.

The question type-specific question options are also largely identical, only “Dynamic column text wrap” and “Wrap item text” are missing. As with question type 131, you can also place the select box within, in front of or behind the text.

Hotspot

The hotspot question type is very similar to the hotspot question type for matrix questions. The hotspot question type enables you to place answer options onto particular areas of a selected picture. Before uploading your picture, note that you should start by defining necessary dimensions and scales.

Base Elements

• Question text

• Fill-in instruction

• Help text

• Scale options 1-n

• Answer options 1-n

Detail Configuration

• Exclusive mode for areas: Only one area can be rated. If other areas have been previously rated, they will be reset.

• Show answer texts as tooltip: The respective answer text will be displayed as a tool tip when hovering over it.

• Initial state for areas: States how areas are displayed initially and whether a button to display unrated areas should be included.

• Color for unselected areas: States the color for areas which have not yet been rated.

• Label of button for displaying areas: Defines the button for displaying areas.

• Text of the default value in the selected box: Defines the text of the default value in the selected box.

• Label of button for closing the dialog: Defines the button which closes the dialog.

• Image: Upload images, or change and delete previously uploaded images.

Editing-tools for shapes

Shortcut keys

Helpful shortcut keys will make the editing process easier.