New Question # and Question Type Guide

Overview

This article is going to give you the in-depth knowledge you will need to know in order to verify the selection VZ Autofill has done for you or to complete this step manually. We will go question type by question type showing you an example of the raw data and how it will look in the prep and clean step. We will give you all the information you need to know in order to feel comfortable with selecting these values. Each survey software exports the data a little differently but the core logic will still apply.

Single Response

This question output has one column that has one answer in the column that is normally a string value that you want to see in a bar chart. This is usually a select one, radio, dropdown type question. Since it is just one column you will not need to group the columns by giving multiple columns the same New Question #.

Multiple Choice

This question output usually has one column with multiple answers for that question in a single cell separated by a comma OR multiple columns with a single answer in each cell. To make it a Multiple Choice question type a respondent is allowed to select more than 1 answer for that question. The question usually looks like a single response question for the survey taker but with the option to select more than 1 answer if they choose. If you have 1 column with multiple answers in the column you will need to do a Split in the Prep step to split all the answers out to their own column. You will then need to group all of the columns together by giving them the same New Question #. If you have multiple columns for one question you will just give them all the same New Question #.

Multiple Columns:

Multiple Answer in One Column:

Single Response Matrix

This question output always has multiple columns for a single question. Usually, the value you see in the row area of the matrix question is in the header sometimes with the question text in front of it and the value you see in the column area of the question will be in the answer cell. Since there are multiple columns associated with this question you will have to assign the same New Question Number to all of the columns.

Multiple Choice Matrix

This question output usually looks exactly the same as the Single Response Matrix but you could have multiple answers in the cell separated by a comma or other delimiter. Since there are multiple columns associated with this question you will have to assign the same New Question Number to all of the columns.

Matrix of Dropdown Menus

This question type is also unique due to having 3 parts but on this one there are 2 parts in the Column Name usually separated by a "-" and 1 part in the Answer Column. To clean this one you will have to have the 2 parts separated by a "-" in the Matrix Row just like below. You can use the Matrix Row split with the Split off =  2nd to Last option to grab the 2 parts. This will return everything to the right of the 2nd to Last delimiter. 

Matrix Dropdown

This question type is unique because it has 3 parts to it. The column name has one part usually following the question text and the Answer Column has 2 parts separated by a delimiter. If you dealing with data that looks like this then use the Matrix Row to clean the column and then in the Answer Column box make sure the 2 separate parts are separated by a colon like below. If the 2 parts are separated by something else such as a "-", then replace it with a colon.

Numeric

This question output has one column that has one answer in a numeric. You will select this option if you want to see statistics such as averages. Since it is just one column you will not need to group the columns by giving multiple columns the same New Question #.

Numeric Multiple

This question output has multiple columns that are all numeric. You will select this option if you want to see statistics such as averages. You will group these columns together using the New Question #.

Constant Sum

This question output has multiple columns that are all numeric. It will look the same as Numeric Multiple but the question type would be a constant sum when programming the survey. You will select this option if you want to see statistics such as averages. You will group these columns together using the New Question #.

Ranking

This question output usually has multiple columns for a single question. Usually, the value you see in the header will be what the respondent is ranking and the value in the answer field will be the number they ranked. Since there are multiple columns associated with this question you will have to assign the same New Question Number to all of the columns.

Textbox

This question output has one column that has one answer in the column that is normally an opened ended answer.  Since it is just one column you will not need to group the columns by giving multiple columns the same New Question #.

Other Specify Situation

Sometimes you will have an Other option on a question and then the user can type in whatever they want. If you allowed that option then you will have an additional column for this question that would be an open-ended response. You do not want to group this column with the single response or multiple choice question type columns because it will mess up your chart will all those open-ended answers. So what you have to do is give it its own New Question # different then the original columns, I usually do a large number like 100 so it is at the end of my list and select Textbox question type.

Date

This question output has one column that has one answer in the column that is in a Date or Date Time format. 

Net Promoter Score

This question output has one column that has one answer in the column that is a number from 1-10. Sometimes there is text in the answer field, make sure to delete all text in the Clean Data step before going forward. 

Zip Code

We recommend asking for the 5 digit Zip Code whenever you are wanting geographic data. This is because results are since they do not have to spell anything out and we can get City, County, and State using it. If you would like to see a Map in your dashboard you have to ask for Zip Code, then select the corresponding Chart Style for this question type and we will show it by Zip Code, City, or State without you having to ask for it that information. In the dashboard, we bring in additional geographic columns using Zip Code so you are not limited to looking at the data by just Zip Code.