Appearance Options

All questions except Open text list, Information and Date have an Appearance property. This allows you to select how the question is to be presented to the respondent. The Appearance options presented will be applicable to the question type, though many of the options are available for more than one question type. This section lists all the possible Appearance options; the question types to which the options apply are given for each option.

Click on the current Appearance and select the required option from the drop-down menu that appears.

Figure 1 - Accessing the Appearance options for a single question

The options are:

• Text field - [Open] you must set the number of rows of text you wish the respondent to have available in the field, and the width of the field in characters.
• Paragraph - [Open] this type provides a text box that is by default 10 rows high and 50 characters wide. You can change these values if you wish.
• Essay - [Open] this type provides a large text box that is by default 18 rows high and 50 characters wide. You can change these values if you wish.
• Radio buttons - [Single] the list of answer options is presented to the respondent in the form of a labeled list of radio buttons, only one of which can be activated at any time.
• Check boxes - [Multi] the answers are presented alongside check boxes, which the respondent checks to select.
• Images - [Single, Multi, Grid (if "Use Images in Answers" (see below) is not selected) 3D-Grid] For single and multi questions this allows you to specify images to be used instead of the standard radio buttons or check boxes depending on the type of question. For grids it allows you to use images in place of the scale labels. Note that these images may also be defined globally from the Survey Settings > Layout page(go to Global button images for more information).
• Answer buttons - [Single, Multi, Grid, Multi Grid, 3D-Grid] when “Answer buttons” is selected, respondents will be presented with a question interface where the answer options are clickable, labeled buttons instead of radio-buttons. This can be enabled for an entire survey by selecting “Answer Buttons” in Survey Settings. It can also be enabled (“On”) or disabled (“Off”) for specific questions through a question property. The property by default is set to “Inherit”, which means it will be controlled by the Survey Settings.
• Searchable multi - [Multi] in the event the answer list for a Multi question is very long, you can provide the respondents with the possibility to search the answer list so they can more easily find the answers they wish to use. When the Multi question is presented to the respondent, it will include a "Search" field above the answer list and a "Selected" field below. Searchable multi questions always alphabetize rather than using the randomize / rotate options selected in question settings. Searchable multi only has an option for answerlist order.
• Searchable single -[Single] in the event the answer list for a Single question is very long, you can provide the respondents with the possibility to search the answer list so they can more easily find the answer they wish to use. When the Single question is presented to the respondent, it will include a "Search" field above the answer list and a "Selected" field below. Searchable single questions always alphabetize rather than using the randomize / rotate options selected in question settings. Searchable Single has options for answer list order, group order.
• Drop down - [Single] the list of answer options is presented to the respondent in the form of a drop-down list from which the respondent can select one answer. Searchable single questions ignore 'lock position' on 'other' fields, and always place such fields on the bottom.
• Slider - [Single, Grid - supports touch devices] This feature allows respondents to click and drag a slider bar to the answer alternative of choice, instead of selecting radio buttons. When you select this option, you can then customize the look of the slider in the Question Inputs control in the Question Skin (go to Question Skins for more information). Note that for Numeric and Numeric List questions, the Slider option only becomes available once Upper and Lower limits have been defined. Additional slider-related selections become available.
• Horizontal rating scale - [Single] when selected, the answers for the single question are displayed as a rating scale. If you wish to include "header" texts over the first and last answer options, add your desired text separated from the scale values by <space><hyphen><space>.
• Star rating - [Single] a star is displayed for each option instead of buttons (go to Star Rating for more information).
• Grid bars - [Single] displays the answer options in the form of bars (go to Grid Bars for more information).
• Boolean - [Single] select this option if you wish the system to store the data as 1-Bit (otherwise it is stored as 1-Byte (8-Bits)), thereby using 1/8 the amount of storage space.
• Thumb rating- [Single] select this option to provide a thumbs up / thumbs down graphic as the two available answer options. The respondent selects either the thumbs up or the thumbs down graphic as the answer to the question. The graphics are automatically added to the question.
• Table lookup - [Single] the answers are taken from table(s) set up in “Database Designer” (go to Table Lookup Questions for more information).
• Hierarchy - [Single] the answers are taken from table(s) set up in “Database Designer” (go to Hierarchy Questions for more information).
• Numeric field - [Numeric] an input field is presented into which the respondent must type the numerical answer value.
• Numeric slider - [Numeric] a slider is presented which the respondent must drag to the appropriate answer value.
• Input fields - [Numeric list, 3D-Grid] each answer option has an input field into which the respondent types their answer.
• Auto sum - [Numeric list] each answer option has an input field into which the respondent types a numerical value. A running total of the values input so far is provided below the answer list.
• Percent % (total) - [Numeric list] each answer option has an input field into which the respondent types a percentage value. A running total of the values input so far is provided below the answer list. On completion, the total must be 100%.
• Rank by click - [Ranking] - the respondent clicks on the answer options in sequence to move them into the ranking table. The first item clicked will be placed at the top of the list.
• Rank by numbers - [Ranking] - the respondent ranks the answer options by typing numbers in sequence into the answer fields.
• Rank by drag drop - [Ranking] the respondent must drag each answer option from the list of answers and drop it into the desired location in the table.
• Rating grid - Radio buttons - [Grid] the scale options are presented as a grid of radio buttons; the respondent selects one option from each row in the grid.
• Rating grid - Answer buttons - [Grid] each scale option is presented as a separate button in the grid.
• Rating grid - Drop down - [Grid] each prompt has its own drop-down containing the scale; the respondent selects their answers from the drop-downs.
• Rating grid - Images - [Grid] the scale options are presented as a grid of images.
• Rating list - Grid bars - [Grid] displays the grid in the form of bars (go to Grid Bars for more information).
• Rating list - Star rating - [Grid] displays star shapes instead of a grid (go to Star Rating for more information).
• Rating list - Slider - [Grid] displays the grid in the form of sliders, one slider for each prompt - see above.
• Rating list - Horizontal scale - [Grid] presents the answer options as a horizontal rating scale (go to Horizontal Scale for more information).
• Ranking grid - Card sort - [Grid] presents the answer options as a card-sort layout (go to Card Sort for more information).
• Ranking grid - Drop down - [Grid] presents the answer options as a drop-down list.
• Ranking grid - Radio buttons - [Grid] presents the answer options as a set of radio buttons.

Note: Grid questions using the Ranking grid appearance must have the same number of prompts as there are scales in the grid.

• Card sort - [Grid] the answers to the question are presented as a deck of playing cards, with the scale being represented by a number of areas. The respondent answers the question by moving the cards into the appropriate area (go to Card Sort for more information).
• Accordion - [Grid] auto-expands and collapses the scale options for each prompt for grids on desktop, tablet and mobile devices (go to Accordion for more information).
• Carousel - [Grid, Multi grid] changes the answer layout from a tabular format to Carousel format (go to Carousel for more information).
• Carousel - Star rating - [Grid] is the carousel layout but using stars instead of numerical values on buttons for the scale presentation (go to Star Rating for more information).
• Carousel - Grid bars - [Grid] is the carousel layout but using the basic grid bar layout for the scale presentation.
• Carousel - Images - [Grid] is the carousel layout but using images to indicate the options.
• Best-Worst comparison - [3D-Grid] allows you to set up a question where for example you ask the respondent to state which of a list of items they thought was the best and which they thought was the worst (go to Best-Worst Comparison for more information).

For Grid questions, when Horizontal Scale or Carousel - Grid bars, the “Exclude non-scored elements from scale” sub-option becomes available. Select this option to remove any answer options that do not have a score (go to Answer List Columns for more information) from the list of answers available, and places them separately. This allows you to include for example a “Not applicable” option in the answer list, and as it does not have a score it will not affect your results.