Survey elements are the basic components of a survey and include items such as questions, tables, lists, and quota elements. Survey elements can be either respondent facing or hidden, and can include conditions that dictate whether they are shown to a respondent or not. This article focuses on the components of a survey element, common properties and attributes, and the Gear menu, which provides controls and actions for individual elements.
For information on how to create survey elements in general, see Creating survey elements with IntelliBuilder. For survey elements and element features that do not follow this general pattern, see Additional survey elements and features for IntelliBuilder and Conditioned.
Tip! The element types and element features that users can add to a survey depends on which user modes are available to them. For information on user modes, see Getting started with IntelliBuilder.
Survey elements
Most elements created in IntelliBuilder are located within the main body of the screen, though some elements, such as lists, are housed in the Appendix. Each survey element, by default, is displayed in Expanded View and has its own set of controls to move, edit, or change the display of the element. Users with access to the survey may also leave comments on individual elements as needed.
Although the display of elements will vary based on the element type, each survey element will have the following components.
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Survey element – An Expanded View display of the survey element. Any questions, tables, free text, or reusable text will be shown in the main body of the IntelliBuilder applet, while lists are shown at the bottom of the screen in the Appendix. Most elements created via SPL Input or in the source code will also be shown in the main body of the survey, though some elements such as defaults or app configs, may instead be displayed in the Appendix.
Most survey elements will also contain directives (shown in bracketed gray, bold lettering) that list the survey element type or any properties and attributes that were included to define the element's appearance or functionality. These are displayed similarly to programmer notes that are often found in client-copies of surveys to help indicate how the survey element should work. Note that directives related to terminations will be displayed in red as shown above.
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Comments column – Displays any comments that have been made on that element. Any replies to a comment will be indented to indicate they are responding to a prior comment. Users may also add a new comment by clicking the Comment icon at the bottom of the comments column. Clicking on the Comment icon will bring up the New Comment dialog in which the user can enter a message.
See Communicating through IntelliBuilder for more information.
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Element controls – Provides actions that can be performed on that element, including editing the element (pencil icon), the ability to collapse or expand an element, and the Gear menu, which allows the user to switch viewing modes or perform other functions.
For more on the Gear menu and other element controls, see below.
- Handle – Allows the user to drag an existing element to a new location in the survey. Click on this dotted symbol and hold, and the cursor will become a small hand icon. Once "gripped," users can drag the element to a new location in the survey.
Element controls
Each survey element has a column to its left that contains various control buttons to modify or manipulate that element.
The following actions can be performed via these buttons.
Action/Icon | Description |
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Handle |
Allows the user to manually move an element via drag and drop to a new location. To move the element, click and hold on the handle, then drag the element up or down the screen to the new location. Users may also elect to move the element to a specific location by selecting Gear > Move. |
Edit |
Opens the Element Editor, allowing the user to make changes to the element. This icon will turn yellow for newly created or edited survey elements that have not been merged, changing back to blue once changes are merged. For more on editing existing survey elements, see Editing surveys with IntelliBuilder. |
View as (Gear menu) |
Allows the user to switch from Builder view (default) to Preview mode (what the element would look like in a live survey) or Source (a translation of the element into IntelliSurvey's SPL). The Source view option is only available to users with Expert Mode rights. |
Move (Gear menu) |
Opens the Move Widget modal, allowing the user to specify where to move the element. Users will specify a Question Target and whether to move the element before or after this element. |
Copy (Gear menu) | Creates a copy of the element, adding it immediately after the original element in the survey. The copy will be assigned the next available numerical ID, regardless of whether the copy is added at the end of the survey or somewhere in the middle, so the Question ID may require changing. |
Delete (Gear menu) |
Removes the element from the survey. Elements that are referenced later in the survey (e.g., used for condition logic or piping) cannot be deleted without first removing the reference. |
Expand/Collapse Element | Functions similar to the Expand All/Collapse All arrow buttons but collapses or expands (default) the display for a single element. |
Tip! Elements contained in the Appendix have slightly different controls than those in the main survey body. As these elements are added to the beginning of the survey in the source code, they do not require a handle. Additionally, since these elements are not questions or tables, they do not require a Preview view mode, and thus that option is disabled in the Gear > View menu.
Add element menu
To add a new survey element, click the Add button at the top of the screen. This brings up the Add Element menu.
The Add Element menu provides a selection of element types, broken into four categories. To select an element type, click the circle next to its name, then fill in the details and select the features the element requires. The steps to create a survey element are covered in Creating survey elements with IntelliBuilder.
The modal also offers the ability to create elements from templates (via the Add from Template button), upload a survey .txt file of IntelliSurvey's SPL (survey programming language) to create new survey elements, or create customized questions applying "question templates" via the Customized Questions button.
Currently, the following elements are available for selection. Users should note that the SPL Input option is only available while in Expert Mode.
Simple question types
The Simple element category consists of common, basic question types including:
- Single Select – a.k.a., "radio questions"
- Multi Select – a.k.a., "checkbox questions"
- Rank – Questions requiring the respondent to rank all (default) or a subset of options.
- Drop Down – Single select questions where options are displayed in a pull down menu.
Table types
The Grid element category consists of the following table types at this time:
- Single Select by Row – "Radio tables" where only a single option is selected per row-question.
- Number Open End by Row – Tables that require a numeric input per row-question; SPs may specify the datatype (e.g., whole numbers or decimals) if need be.
- Percent (sum to 100%) – Numeric entry tables where the sum of the inputs must add to 100. These tables can be edited so that they sum to other values as well.
- Single Select by Column – Tables that are flipped vertically with the questions as columns, and options are selected per column (also known as a vertical scale, or "vscale" table).
Open-ended question types
The Open-Ended element category consists of questions that can accept numeric or non-numeric inputs, including:
- Number Open End – Questions that require numeric input; SPs may specify the datatype (e.g., whole numbers or decimals) if need be.
- US Zip Code – Questions that accept 5 digit entries that are matched against our US Zip Code database.
- Short Answer – Questions that accept short, often single word, responses.
- Long Answer – Questions that allow for longer, multi-word or "essay" responses.
Structural element types
The Structural element category consists mainly of non-question survey elements, many of which can be utilized in, or with, questions and tables, including:
- List – A standalone collection of elements (a.k.a., "setlist") that can be used across multiple questions and tables as options, row-questions, columns, etc.
- Group – A defined collection of survey content (questions, text, logic, etc.) that makes up a sub-section of the survey. Groups require an alphanumeric ID (underscores allowed), defined start and end points, and can be conditioned on when to be shown to respondents.
- Display Text – Text that is displayed to the respondent (a.k.a., "freetext"); can be used for a variety of reasons, such as introductory descriptions to survey sections.
- Quota – Quotas allow Survey Creators (SCs) to track the number of respondents that meet certain criteria in a survey by creating various group definitions, or “quota groups,” such as age rages, genders, and geographic locations. Quotas can either be defined as hidden variables based on responses to displayed questions, or can be defined directly in a question (radio/pulldown).
- Click Balance Quota – Click Balance Quotas (a.k.a., CBQs) are quotas that are based on all incoming traffic, instead of only completes like a typical quota. The term "click balance" is used because the incoming traffic is often referred to as "clicks" by panel providers when respondents click on the survey invitation, and "balance" because the clicks are proportionally balanced to the research needs (e.g., Census data). Tracking clicks is useful when a certain number of responses to a screener section is required, even if not all of those respondents complete the survey.
- Coded Variable (Single Select) – A hidden variable that is coded from a single-select question (radio or pulldown); by default, it selects based on each option's condition, but SCs can add the Selectby property to alter how the respondent is qualified for the variable's options.
- Coded Variable (Multiple Select) – A hidden variable that is coded from a multi-select question; by default, it selects based on each option's condition, but SCs can add the Selectby property to alter how the respondent is qualified for the variable's options.
- Coded Variable (Numeric Value) – A hidden variable that is coded from a numeric entry question.
- Piped Text – Text that is intended for reuse and/or multiple appearances within a survey. Piped text can be conditioned (e.g., based on previous selection choices), and can even be the option text for a previously selected or inputted response.
- SPL Input – For Expert mode only; this option allows SCs to directly enter or copy and paste survey code into a modal in order to create survey elements. This option is useful for creating complex survey elements or element-types that are not yet available in the Add Element modal.
Tip! PMs and SCs familiar with our SPL can use the SPL Input option to add multiple survey elements at once without having to switch edit modes to Survey Source.
Miscellaneous
The Add Element menu also allows SCs three functions that fall outside of these element groups – the ability to create "customized questions," the ability to upload txt files to create full surveys, and the ability to create survey sections via templates.
- Customized Questions – Allows SCs to create a question or table by applying a previously defined question class. Classes are created from the Actions menu's Add question configuration option.
- Add from Template – Allows SCs to choose from various templates that contain content that can be used for survey sub-sections, including pre-screener or demographics-related questions.
- Upload from File – Allows SCs and PMs to create multiple widgets at once by uploading source code via a txt file. The file can be uploaded either by drag and dropping it into the Upload pane, or by browsing the user's files. Upon upload, the source code will add the new content to the survey as if it was created in IntelliBuilder.
Components of a survey element
The Element Editor is used to input the various details required to create a new element. Before creating a new survey element, let's look at a completed element and identify some of the various components of the editor. SCs should note that each element type requires different components, so depending on the element type selected, there may be more or less components available.
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The Element type – This is listed in two locations on the modal. The first location is at the very top of the modal, where it will display Add new "Element type" (in this case, "Multi Select"). The second location is immediately below it on the Element Selector.
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The Element Selector – The Element Selector is a pulldown menu that allows the user to alter the element type if need be. The options available here will match those from the Add Element menu. Switching the element type after properties have been added may lead to their removal if they are not compatible with the other type.
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The Element ID – The survey element's ID. In the case of questions and tables, this ID will be assigned sequentially, incrementing by 1 each time, but users may click here and alter the ID as needed. IDs should be alphanumeric and can include underscores, but not periods. In the case of lists, groups, or quotas, any ID name can be provided (e.g., "AGEQUOTA," "BRANDS," "SHOPPING_HABITS"). Lists and quotas do not allow spaces in their names, but underscores are allowed.
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The Question Text – The question text will be inputted on this line here. SCs may include simple text formatting such as bolding, italicizing, or underlining text via the same keyboard controls used in programs such as MS Word (e.g., Ctrl-B to bold).
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Properties menu – The Properties menu is located at the top of the Element Editor and can be accessed by clicking the down arrow. Which properties are available for a given element will depend on the type of element chosen. Properties must be added one at a time, and some will require additional input. If additional input is required, a pop-up/modal will appear to allow the SC to input this information.
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Added properties – Properties are additional features included in a survey element to help define how it functions or behaves. They are added via the Properties menu and are always displayed below the element ID/question text after being defined. In the above image, the Randomize and Decline to Answer properties have been added to the question. Properties that required additional input will display a pencil icon to their left after adding them.
For a list of common properties, see below.
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Options – SCs will specify options in this section. To add another option, either hit Enter or click the + icon, and a new line will be included. If a setlist (external list) is included, a property will be displayed reading "SHOW OPTIONS FROM LIST_NAME". SCs should note that elements can contain both inline and external list options, or use options from multiple setlists, but option IDs cannot overlap and must be unique.
In the case of tables, there will also be a Rows section.
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Added attributes – Attributes are similar to properties, but used specifically for individual options. Each option can include multiple attributes. Some attributes may also exist as properties, such as Explain. Attributes such as Explain, Condition, and Autoother will require additional input from the SC, and a modal will appear once the attribute is selected, allowing the SC to enter the required information.
See below for a list of available attributes.
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Attribute menu – Clicking the down arrow to the right of an option pulls up the Add attribute menu. Attributes may be added one at a time, and some attributes such as Show If or Explain will require the user to input additional information. A warning icon will appear next to the attribute name if the required input has not be added.
- Save/Cancel/Back Buttons – Once an element is fully defined, users have the option to either click Save to save the element and exit the modal, Save + Add New to continue adding elements, or click Cancel to discard the survey element and return the user to the main IntelliBuilder screen. If the wrong element type was selected, the Element Selector menu can be used to switch element types.
Common properties
Properties are additional features that can be included with a survey element that dictate how the element should be displayed or function. They can be used for functions such as pulling in options from a list, spreadsheet, or previous question; randomizing the order of options (or rows); providing additional instructions or explanations (tooltips) for the respondent; or specifying conditions for when a question should be displayed to the respondent or not.
Whether to include properties with a survey element is optional, but SCs may add multiple properties to any survey element depending on their needs. Which properties are available in the Properties menu will dependent on the element type. Properties that display a pencil icon to their left are editable and require additional input, as shown with the Decline to Answer property above.
The following properties are commonly used when creating survey elements. Users should note that properties are applied to the survey element itself ("question level"), as opposed to attributes, which are applied to an individual option ("option level"). Note that some properties may also exist as attributes, such as Explain.
Property name | Description | For use with... | Advanced ? |
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Options From |
Adds options from a list, spreadsheet, or previous question. Can be used alongside or in replacement of the default Options property (used for inline/locally-defined lists). |
Non-text input questions and tables |
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Rows From |
Adds row elements from a list, spreadsheet, or previous question. Can be used alongside or in replacement of the default Rows property (used for inline/locally-defined lists). |
All table types | |
Series | Defines sequential answer options. Users can specify whole number or alpha characters by defining a "Left bound" (min value/letter) and "Right bound" (max value/letter). | Single-select and drop down questions, and single select by row or column tables (options only) | |
Randomize Options | Randomizes options. | Questions with inline options, lists | |
Randomize Rows | Randomizes row elements. | Tables | |
Decline To Answer |
Adds a decline to answer (opt-out) option; also known as a DTA option. Defaults to option ID 99, but can be altered. |
All question types | |
Explain |
Affixes a mouseover with an additional text description. |
All question types Can also be applied as option attribute |
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Instructions | Displays instructions after question text. | All question types | |
Editable By |
Sets restrictions on which user levels can edit or copy the survey element. Options include Advanced and Expert. Users cannot set the restriction to a user level higher than their own. If set to Advanced, then both Advanced and Expert Survey Creators (SCs) can edit or copy the element. |
All question types | |
Quota | Creates a quota based on the question, with each option representing a different quota bucket/group. | Single-select, drop down, and multiple select questions | |
Click Balance Quota | Creates a click balance quota based on the question, with each option representing a different quota bucket/group. | Single-select, drop down, and multiple select questions | |
Show If |
Specifies a condition which, if "true," allows the question or table to be shown to the respondent. Selecting this option requires the user to define the logic required for showing the question via the Show If Logic modal. Logic conditions can be singular or compound. |
All question types
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Term If | Specifies a condition which, if "true," terminates the respondent. | All non-text question types | |
Same Page | Displays the element on which this is placed on the same page as the previous element. | All question types | |
Range | Defines an accepted range of values for the response by specifying the min and max allowed values. | Numeric input questions and tables | |
Show Total | Adds a "total" row to the table, displaying a running total for the inputs entered in the text fields for a numeric table. | Numeric input tables | |
Total Equals | Adds a "total" field for the table. | Numeric input tables | |
Total Row Text | Specifies text to show in the total row. | Numeric input tables | |
Data Type |
Specifies the type of numerical text input that can be accepted for the question. Options include:
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Numeric input questions and tables | |
Number Format |
Specifies how numerical input should be formatted upon entry/submittal and the types of responses that will be accepted. Options include:
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Numeric input questions and tables |
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Attributes
Attributes are similar to properties, but are added features applied to individual options. Multiple attributes can be added to a single option to alter how it behaves or functions. Some attributes require the user to input additional information and will display a caution/warning icon next to them if not entered. Once the required information has been added, the icon will disappear, and the survey element can be saved.
Currently the following items are available in the Attributes menu.
Attribute name | Description | For use with... |
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Anchor |
Keeps the option in is ordered position while the other options are randomized. For use with the Randomize Options property. |
Any survey element that has a list of options, including table rows |
Condition |
Specifies a condition which, if "true," allows the option to be shown to the respondent. Selecting this option requires the user to define the logic necessary for showing the option via the Condition Logic modal. Logic conditions can be singular or compound. |
Any displayed list option, question option, or table option/row-question |
Exclusive | Prevents other options from being chosen when this option is selected; any previously selected options will be deselected. | Multi-select questions and tables |
Explain |
Affixes a mouseover with additional text; also known as a "tooltip." Users should note that this attribute does require them to input the text that is displayed to the respondent. |
Any displayed list option, question option, or table option/row-question |
Go To |
Directs respondents to a particular survey element upon selection of this option. |
Any displayed list option, question option, or table option |
Other Specify |
Creates an input field at the response-option level. By default, the field is 5 ems. Users can also define aspects of how the field is displayed to respondents, including the text field size, placeholder text, and input types, via the Autoother Parameters modal. |
Any non-text input question or table |
Terminate | Terminates respondents if this option is selected. | Any displayed list option, question option, or table option |
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