Batch Update

The Batch Update applet permits users to select a question or variable in a survey, and then update respondents' data for that field to a specified response. You can update all respondents or a subset of respondents based on selections in the Record Selector. At this time, only radio questions and single select variables may be updated.

To open, expand the Data button group in the Survey Navigation menu, and select Batch Update.

Using Batch Update

The Batch Update applet provides users with multiple options for altering respondent data. The three options that can be chosen from the Tasks menu are Change Status, Classify as Tests, and Advanced Update. Each task varies slightly in its functionality, instructions, and default options. Batch Update defaults to the Change Status option.

Change Status

The Change Status option allows users to reclassify respondents from one status to another. To alter the respondent statuses, first use the Record Selector to apply a filter to the data. The Record Selector defaults to IDs, and if so desired, multiple filters may be applied at once. After the filter has been applied, a list of the respondents' IDs and statuses will be displayed in the Existing Respondent Data section.

The Change To portion of the screen displays the current status(es) found with the corresponding number of records found, and allows users to select a new status to reclassify the respondents. Users may select both pre-defined respondent statuses and any additional statuses that were defined in the source code with the setstatus widget. For more information on respondent status classifications, see Understanding respondent statuses. 

After selecting a new status for the respondent records, press Next to continue.

Users will be brought to a second page within the applet to review the desired changes. Check the confirmation checkbox, and click Execute Status Update to complete the status changes.

Classify as Tests

Selecting Classify as Tests allows users to manually classify respondents as test records. Records that are classified as manual test records are inaccessible to most reports and do not count towards quotas. 

Note that once a record has been classified as a manual test record, it cannot be reverted by Panel Coordinators and Panel Field Managers. A survey Manager or Owner must be contacted to reinstate the records.

First, select the desired filter(s) in the Record Selector. Like the Change Status task, Classify as Test Records defaults to the IDs filter. Then, review the selection results in the Existing Respondent Data section. Press Next to continue.

After reviewing the Original Respondent Data and Changes sections, click the confirmation checkbox and press Set Manual Test Records to complete the change. Note that all the selected records will be changed from $testmode = 0 (not Testmode data) to $testmode = 3 ("Manual test record"). Once records are reclassified as manual test records, they will be excluded from all live data. 

Advanced Update

The last task option available is the Advanced Update. This function allows users to alter responses for any closed-ended questions or variables. Unlike the other Batch Update tasks, Advance Update requires the user to use both the Record Selector and Field Selector.

After selecting the desired record filter to apply, use the Field Selector to select the questions(s) or variable(s) for which the respondent data should be altered. Multiple questions or variables may be selected to alter at one time, with the original responses being displayed in the Existing Respondent Data portion of the page.

Each question selected will display its own dropdown menu of the alternate answer options to select in the Change To portion of the screen. Select the desired option for each question, then press Next to continue.

After reviewing the desired changes on the second page of the Advanced Update applet, click on the confirmation checkbox, then press Execute Changes to complete the data change.