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Build
Build enables you to build questionnaires that can be used with for web-based interviewing or with Paper for pen-and-paper-based interviewing. It has been designed for relatively small and simple questionnaires of up to about 100 questions. To create larger or more complex questionnaires, use other tools such as UNICOM Intelligence Professional.
Build divides the task of defining questions into the following stages: basic, advanced, presentation, and export and analysis. This approach enables you to draft the basic outline of your questionnaire without having to define the detailed structure and content of each question.
At the basic level, you define the question name, the question text and, if appropriate, the list of responses from which choices can be made.
The advanced level enables you to complete the definitions by defining, for example, response types for single and multiple choice lists or valid ranges for numeric questions.
The presentation level applies only to questionnaires; it defines how the question should appear on the screen.
The export and analysis level enables you define alternative question and response texts for use in tabulations. Typically, you use longer texts in printed or web questionnaires; shorter texts work better in analyses.
Other features include:
Shared lists. Shared lists are a quick way of dealing with responses that are common to a number of questions. If you put the responses in a shared list, you can then insert them in any number of questions by selecting the name of the list.
Bookmarks. Bookmarks identify particular positions in a questionnaire with unique names and are useful in large questionnaires with complex routing requirements.
Exit codes. You can terminate an interview immediately, and for any reason, by specifying an exit code of your choice. A typical example is with quota control when you usually want to terminate the interview if the respondent belongs in a category whose quota has already been filled.
Groups. Questions can be grouped so that they are all displayed on a single page when the questionnaire is used for web-based interviewing with UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer (this is sometimes referred to as a multi-ask question).
Gotos. Questions are presented in the order they appear in the questionnaire. You can define simple routing for individual choices within a response list. You can also use If...Goto items to specify more complex routing instructions that are based on combinations of answers to one or more questions. Routing that must be followed by all respondents can be defined using a standard Goto item.
Library files. Questions that are common to a number of questionnaires can be saved in the library and can be imported wherever they are needed.
Scripting statements for the Routing section. Questionnaires have two sections: the Metadata section defines the questions, and the Routing section determines how and when the questions will be displayed. Build creates a simple Routing section based on the order you have defined the questions in the questionnaire, but you will usually want to insert other statements in the Routing section as well. Build provides IOM Script and Insert from Script Library items for inserting code in the Routing section of the questionnaire.
Print preview. You can display an image of the printed questionnaire.
User and questionnaire options. You can set defaults for certain Build parameters, both for yourself and for specific questionnaires.
Questionnaires are stored as .mdd files and can be translated for multilingual interviewing. You can set a default primary language for all questionnaires or you can define the primary language separately for each questionnaire when you create it. When you create an interviewing questionnaire or print a questionnaire, this is the language that is used if there are no translations available.
Using Build with and without UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer Server - Admin
You can run Build either within UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer Server - Admin or as a standalone program. When you run Build from UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer Server - Admin, it opens the project that is current when you select the Build link, and lets you work only on this project. If you want to work on another project, you must close Build, return to UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer Server - Admin to choose the project, and then restart Build. If you are a Scriptwriter, this is the way you normally use Build.
When you run Build by typing its URL into a browser, Build starts with no project selected so you can either open an existing questionnaire or create a new one. If you are an administrator, this is the way to create library files of general questions that can be loaded into any project. For more information, see Running Build outside UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer Server - Admin.
This difference in the way Build works means that the options that are available in the File menu differ according to how you started Build.
Switching between Build and UNICOM Intelligence Professional
Questionnaires can be created and edited in UNICOM Intelligence Professional as well as in Build, and you can switch between applications while working on a single questionnaire. For more information, see Switching between Build and UNICOM Intelligence Professional.
See also
Starting Build
Build: Main screen
Getting started
Item names
Setting user and questionnaire options
Display Options for the Overview Tab
Previewing the printed questionnaire
Process flowchart
Leaving Build
Creating questions
Non-question items
Editing questionnaires
Testing and activating questionnaires
Running Build outside UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer Server - Admin
Creating and installing shared templates
Getting started with the UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer activities