Questions

List view: Split button: + Question → New question

Click on this button to create new questions on the current page.

List view: Split button:
+ Question → Paste from Word

This feature allows to paste several questions at once from a draft into the questionnaire editor.

Previously, this feature was labelled “Import questions”.

List view: Split button: + Question → Import questions

This feature allows to import questions from another project.

List view: Split button:
+ Question → Question library

Only for classic EFS question types. This option allows to
access the content of the question library.

List view / Detail view

Via these icons, you can switch from the list view to the detail view of the first question, or back again from a question’s detail view to the list of questions.

Survey language

The default language which is currently displayed in the questionnaire editor.

Detail view: Pipe survey data

This feature allows to easily pick and insert wildcards for dynamic content into question texts.

Page info

The icons symbolize the routing elements and other questionnaire features used on the current page.

Page selection

Via the drop-down list, you can navigate to all standard pages, final pages and mixed-external pages.

Navigation arrows

The Arrow icons allow to skip to the previous and next questionnaire page or question, respectively.

Preview

List view: Page preview
Detail view: Question or page preview

Properties

Access to the properties of the current page.

Triggers

Access to the Triggers menu of the current page.

Plausibility checks

Access to the Plausibility checks menu of the current page.

Text elements

Access to the Text elements menu of the current page.

Codebook

Shortcut to the Codebook.

Drag&Drop

Use Drag&Drop to change the position of a question on the current page.

To move a question to another page, please switch to the questionnaire view, display all questions and drag the question to the appropriate position.

Type

The icon symbolizes the parent category (e.g. matrix), the number the specific question type (e.g. 311).

Title

Internally used question title.

Click on the title to access the detail view.

Question text

Question text

Question ID

Unique identifier of the question (q_xxxx). It is used e.g.:

• In the EFS Survey reporting: it allows to define the questions that should be in an evaluation.

• In the pro editor: you can create a specific design for each question using CSS.

Info

The icons symbolize the routing elements and other questionnaire features used in the question.

Randomization on / off

The position of all or selected questions on the current page
can be randomly switched. To do so, simply click on the icons for the desired questions.

Actions icons

• Preview: Page preview.

• Copy: In the copy dialog, you can optionally change the question title and select another page as target. Use Save to remain in the current page view. If you use Save and edit, you’ll be routed into the copied question.

• Delete

Question type /
Change question type

The icon symbolizes the parent category (e.g. matrix), the number the specific question type (e.g. 311).

By clicking on the icon, you can invoke the dialog for changing
the question type.

Question title

This field contains the title of the question.

Question text

In this field, you can enter the question text as it will appear on the website.

• You can use the TinyMCE editor to layout question text, fill-in instruction and help text.

• 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.

Fill-in instruction

Here you can insert explanatory notes on answering the question, e.g. “Multiple answers possible”. If you do not need a fill-in instruction, please delete the standard text (“Here you explain...”) from the corresponding input field.

Help text

Individual questions give respondents the option of invoking a help pop-up window. Here, you can enter the help text that is to appear in the pop-up window later.

Mark question as “protected”

You can protect respondents’ answers to the current question against unauthorized viewing.

Hiding condition for this question

Depending on the answers the respondent has previously given, you can hide the question. To define the conditions, click on the Edit hiding condition link.

Activate horizontal / vertical flipping of answers

This function offers an alternative to randomization: The question’s items will be mirrored on the horizontal (vertical flipping) or the vertical (horizontal flipping) centerline

Mandatory (DAC)

If you tick the “Mandatory” checkbox, EFS will automatically check to see whether the respondent has answered this question. If this is not the case, an appropriate message will be displayed.

Please note: In the case of matrix questions, selecting this function will only ensure that at least any one item will be answered. You can force respondents to answer several items or all items by ticking the checkboxes in the “dac” column in the “Answer options” section of the entry form.

Alternate colors

If this function is activated, answer options and inside titles will have alternating background colors (white and grey) to improve readability.

Dynamic column text wrap after x answers

After the selected number of answer options has been reached
the list wraps and a new column begins. This function is particularly well suited for use in combination with hiding conditions on item level or randomization, i.e. for situations in which “New column” is too static.

Number of items visible

This field allows you to specify how many of the existing items are to be displayed:

• With the default setting, “0”, all items will be displayed.

• If you enter a number that is less than the actual number of existing items, the selection will be made by counting off the existing items from the top.

Using this function is particularly recommended when combined
with item randomization because the randomization produces varying item combinations.

If the function is used in combination with hiding conditions for answer options, the output of the questionnaire page will be done by first considering the hiding conditions. Only after that will the number be limited.

Wrap item text

If this option has been enabled, long answer texts will be wrapped automatically.

This feature can be used with the question types 111, 112, 113, 121, 122 and 144.

Dynamic answers

If the answers are to be dynamically read from a list, you can make the corresponding settings in this area.

Variable name

Depending on question type and type of text field, this field is located either in the „Question options“ section or in a dedicated column.

Internal variable names are automatically allocated by the system when creating a question

External variable name

Depending on question type and type of text field, this field is located either in the „Question options“ section or in a dedicated column.

External variable names can be changed and are then used on export instead of the internal variable names.

No

When creating the items, the numbering is automatically assigned by the system. You may change the numbering, but the changed numbering should be unique.

If the numbering you assigned is not unique, an automatic, unique numbering will be assigned.

Code

Serves to identify an answer option for in single response lists and matrix questions. An overview of all encodings is provided in the codebook.

• You can edit the encoding. However, you should never do this while the survey is in progress because otherwise, the encoded information will be lost or it will no longer be possible to assign it correctly. Filters and other functions that are based on codes can also be damaged.

• When defining codes in matrix questions, please note that code “0” is disabled for scale items, except for question types 351, 361 and 364. Code “0” is normally used for questions types 361 and 364 to generate the “Please select” scale characteristic: This allows you to track whether participants have responded to the question.

New

To create a new answer option, enter a new answer or item text into the “New” row. The sort number or the code (depending on the question type) will then be assigned automatically.

Arrow icons

Used to re-sort the answer options.

Clicking on the arrow icon in front of an answer option will open a script prompt. Enter the desired new position for the item. After you have confirmed by clicking on OK, the position number will be changed automatically, and the numbers of all subsequent items will be corrected accordingly. Then click on Save. Make the next position change, click on Save again, etc.

Answer option / Dimension

Enter the answer options (or dimensions in matrix questions) in this field.

• By default there are five preset options. However, you can expand or reduce the number as you wish.

• If you need more than the pre-created options, simply enter in the “New” row the text for the next option, select the type and Save.

• You can remove redundant answer option by ticking the checkbox “Delete” and then Save.

Up to 100 answer options can be created for a single question. For some question types, less options are available, to guarantee an appealing design.

The answer text may have up to 10,000 characters. But please keep in mind that overlong texts may negatively affect the appearance of the question.

Text field width

Depending on question type and type of text field, this field is located either in the „Question options“ section (e.g. 141), in a dedicated column (e.g. 143) or immediately besides the text field (e.g. 111, Answer option + text).

It can be used to restrict the width of a specific text field.

• To find out which unit (em, %) should be used, please check the the i hint in the respective field.

• If you do not enter a specific text field width, the default value defined in the layout editor will be used (Table 9.3). Default: 100%.

Please mind that the feature is not available for question type 363.

Input length (max.)

Depending on question type and type of text field, this field is located either in the „Question options“ section (e.g. 141), in a dedicated column (e.g. 143) or immediately besides the text field (e.g. 111, Answer option + text).

It allows to restrict the number of characters that can be entered.

Type

You can select the type of new answer option in this field. The following options are available:

• Answer option

• Answer option + text

• Inside title

With 5xx-er questions, you can instead choose between image and HTML

Missing value

This option allows you to create a separate answer option, such as the answer “Other”. This will, therefore, enable the respondent to indicate that none of the possible answers apply to them. Ticking the “Missing value” checkbox for an item marks the item as a “missing value” in the online statistics. (Caution: When exporting the data, e.g. as an SPSS file, any declaration as “Missing” must be performed again.)

Randomization

The order of the selected answer options will be changed randomly so that the respondents will see different arrangements. The extension “Grouping” enables you to randomize answer groups.

New column

This option allows you to show an answer option for your question in a separate column. This is especially suitable if you wish to offer an additional text field, separated from the answer options.

DAC

By activating the checkboxes in this column, you can ensure that, for matrix questions and multiple response questions, individual answer options, several answer options or all answer options must be answered.

Always visible

Delete

The “Delete” option allows you to reduce the number of answer options.

Questionnaire

Questionnaire view.

Page

Page view.

Preview question

The window that opens will now only contain the current question, as opposed to the whole page as displayed in the Page preview.

Only suitable for classic question types: Change question type

This function allows you to change a question type to another without having to create the whole question again.

You can only change the existing question type to the ones displayed in the drop-down list. Select the desired question type and click on Change.

Please note that various special settings cannot be transferred when changing the question type. For example, hiding conditions and type checks will be lost.

Scale library

This function allows to open the scale library, where you can create a new scale.

Only suitable for classic question
types: Add to library

This function allows you to copy a finished question into the question library.

Wildcards

Clicking on this tab allows you to insert a previously created static wildcard into a question or answer field in the entry form.