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Patterns

Many of the data entry issues encountered in paper questionnaires have been difficult to resolve when using web and other electronic questionnaires. For example, an answer such as “$5” to a quantity response question would usually be considered as a respondent input error. In this worksheet we will show how applying patterns can resolve such issues and make questionnaires more amenable to respondents’ replies.

Next month's worksheet will give some examples of the use of patterns at the analysis stage.

This example is drawn from the Snap WebHost edition of the snSupermarket survey, which is preloaded on the Snap 9 Installation CD.

Step By Step

In this first example, we will use a currency pattern so that Snap will accept a response which includes a $ prefix.

Figure 1

Step 1

With the question highlighted, click the variable properties Variable Properties button to bring up the properties of that question.

Figure 2

Step 2

Click in the entry for the Source Pattern, and use the drop down menu to select currency.

Click OK to save your settings.

Step 3

When completed on the internet, a response inclusive or exclusive of a $ prefix would be accepted. The $ symbol will be removed by the pattern before the respondents input is validated against any range limits you have imposed for the question.

For the question in this second example, we would expect the respondent to reply with a small, whole number. Those who have conducted paper questionnaires will be aware that respondents often respond to such questions with worded forms of their answers, for example writing “two” instead of “2”. Snap's small worded integer pattern can be used to allow the respondent to express themselves in the way they prefer whilst still enabling Snap to "see" a numeric form of their response.

Figure 3

Step 4

With the question highlighted, click the variable properties Variable Properties button to bring up the properties of that question.

Figure 4

Step 5

Click in the entry for the Source Pattern, and use the drop down menu to select ‘small worded integer’.

Click OK to save your settings.

Step 6

When completed on any electronic survey in Snap, a small, whole number in word form such as ‘two’ would be accepted and converted into the equivalent small integer number ‘2’.

Step 7

The above two examples used pre-defined patterns which come preloaded with Snap 9. You can view the structure of these patterns or create your own patterns by accessing Variable Tailoring.

Figure 5

Step 8

With your questionnaire open, click on Tailor and Variables… to open the Variable Tailoring dialog box.

Figure 6Figure 7

Step 9

Click Patterns... to view the patterns currently set up for that questionnaire. Click to view the structure of the patterns. Note you can not amend a preloaded pattern. If changes are required, use to copy the original pattern and then make the necessary changes.

Note: Regardless of the form of data collection used, the raw data file will hold the response exactly as entered by the respondent, this ensures the researcher has an accurate record of the exact replies the respondent gave.

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