Numeric, text, date/time, and yes/no questions
In addition to multiple-choice questions, you might also see questions that require numeric, text, date/time, or boolean (“yes” or “no”) answers.
Numeric questions
Questions that have numeric answers can be set up to accept only whole numbers or only real (decimal) numbers. If the question requires a real response, you must always enter a decimal point and at least one decimal place even if the answer is a whole number.
Questions that have numeric answers might specify a range of valid answers, and will reject answers outside of this range.
Text questions
Questions with text answers display a box of about six lines in which you should try to type the participant’s exact words. There is no need to press Return or Enter at the end of each line. If you make mistakes, you can backspace over them and retype to make the corrections.
Your supervisor might ask you to write down long text responses rather than typing them as the participant speaks. If you have to do this, you must write down the participant ID number (the Id box at the top of the screen) and the full question name as it appears on the screen, as well as the participant’s answer. If you forget to do this it might not be possible to assign the response text to the correct participant later on.
Date, time, and date/time questions
Date questions might accept an answer in several different formats, for example, mm/dd/yy, or dd/mm/yy, or dd-mmm-yyyy. To ensure that the answer that you enter is unambiguous, use the dd-mmm-yyyy format, for example, 01-Jan-2000. Time questions will normally require an answer in an hh:mm or hh:mm:ss format. Sometimes, a question might require a date/time answer, such as 01-Jan-2000 22:30:00.
Like numeric questions, date, time, and date/time questions might require an answer within a certain range.
Boolean questions
Boolean questions require participants to answer by saying “yes” or “no”, or “true” or “false”. For some boolean questions, you have to select from one of two options, for example, “Yes, wants to subscribe” and “No, doesn’t want to subscribe”. For other boolean questions, there might be just a single option that you should select if the participant says “yes” or “true”. To select an answer to a boolean question, use one of the following methods:
▪For interviews that require the keyboard only. If two answers are shown, press the number key (either 1 or 2) that corresponds to the appropriate answer. If only one answer is shown, press 1 only if the participant answers “yes” or “true”.
▪For interviews that use the mouse. If the answer consists of two radio buttons, click the appropriate radio button. If the answer consists of a single check box, click the check box only if the participant answers “yes” or “true”.
Special responses
Sometimes, a numeric, text, date/time, or boolean question might include one or more special responses that you can select when the participant cannot or does not want to answer the question. For example, you might be able to select a special response that says “Don’t know” or “Refuse to answer”. To select a special response, use one of the following methods:
▪For interviews that require the keyboard only. Press the keyboard shortcut that is shown alongside the special response, that is, Ctrl+1 for the first special response in the list, Ctrl+2 for the second, and so on.
▪For interviews that use the mouse. Click on the appropriate check box.
To cancel a special response, select the same special response again.
Your answer will usually be rejected if you select a special response in addition to entering an answer, or if you select more than one special response.
See also