Use of patterns to validate open-ended questions

Patterns are a powerful tool which have a number of uses in Snap Survey Software.

In data entry, patterns are attached to a specific variable to:

• Ensure that respondents or data entry personnel enter the correct format for information such as postcodes, zip codes or National Insurance numbers. Snap Survey Software looks for a similarity between what has been typed as the answer to a question and what has been specified as a possible match in the pattern.
• Convert the data into a standard form even if it has been entered in an unsuitable format, such as pound or dollar signs being included in quantity data.

In filters and derived variables, you can

• Use any of the defined patterns to temporarily change data, for example, converting literal text to lower case
• Use a pattern made up of several defined parts to select one of the parts (e.g. the area code in a phone number) and use that part to analyze the data.

You can use the Patterns already set up in Snap Survey Software and create your own.