Add Data

The Add Data applet is a tool that can upload data directly to a survey project data set. It allows the user to selectively overwrite existing fields or create and populate new fields with data. This can be done for pre-existing respondents or while adding new respondents.

A common use-case for updating existing fields with new data, or adding data to newly created fields, is for a "recontact survey." In a recontact survey, the data is collected in a separate survey home and then added to the main survey's data set. 

Note, Add Data is very powerful and can have unintended consequences if not used appropriately. Best practice is to download the full data set (all statuses and all questions) before altering the survey's data.

Launch the applet by expanding the Data button group in the Survey Navigation menu, then clicking Add Data.

Using Add Data

The system allows data to either be uploaded from a text, Excel, or SPSS sav file, or it can be copied and pasted into a text field. 

Uploading a file

Select the Upload from a text, Excel, or SPSS sav file option, then click Choose File. This permits the user to browse for the file to upload. Uploaded files must be in Excel, SPSS, or tab/comma separated text files, and all file types must use column headings that are identical to the question labels which are being populated. The first column must contain the record ID, and be labeled 'id'. If no ID column is included, random IDs will be generated for every row containing data, which creates new records in your data set.

Pasting data

If the user elects to paste the data into the browser, it must also be tab separated.

A common technique for using Add Data is to first download the data to be manipulated from the survey by exporting data through the Deliverables applet. The downloaded file can be manipulated or used as a template, which can then be re-added to the survey data set with Add Data. 

We highly suggest you use an export from Deliverables instead of a Response report. Response reports "collapse" multi-select fields into a single column, creating a comma-delimited list of responses. Collapsed multi-select fields cannot be used as a template for adding data.

Submitting data

When you are ready to proceed, click Next. The software will attempt to load data. If any errors occur, the system will stop and allow the user to go back and edit the input, much like the survey source code parsing mechanism. When the data is successfully loaded, the system will inform the user of the changes.

Changes may fall into four general categories: New Records, Existing Records, New Fields, and Existing Fields.

Additionally, the system provides the opportunity to check the field names and record IDs to see which ones are existing, and which are new. If any new field IDs were added to the data, they can be viewed by clicking the Show New Field IDs button. Any existing field IDs that were affected by adding data to the system can be viewed by clicking on the Show Existing Field IDs button. Similarly, Show New Record IDs and Show Existing Record IDs would display any new or existing records. Clicking any button a second time will hide the displayed list.

Click Confirm Add Data to assimilate the new data into the survey data set.

Open end formatting

When uploading open ended fields, remove carriage returns (line breaks) from respondent answers. These may be interpreted as starting the next record, thus displacing data from the row to which it belongs. They may also simply cause the Add Data process to fail. Double quotation marks should also be converted to single quotation marks before uploading data. 

Clearing data

To clear field data, make the corresponding cell empty in the exported Excel sheet and then upload it.