Export format

Response data for a survey can be exported either as comma separated (CSV) file or in SPSS format.

The SPSS format is optimized for use of SPSS function "File -> Read text data". The SPSS export encodes the answer data such that question with a single answer are represented by 1 column in the export. Questions with more that 1 answer result in as many columns in the export as there are possible answers. SPSS export can be used in conjunction with the survey structure export.

The survey structure export provides a listing of all questions in the survey, presented in a structured manner. The survey structure can be used to interpret the column headings in the SPSS export or when the "Encode values" option is selected.

Response data format

The response data format option controls how the response data is presented in the export.

• Condensed

Determines how response data for questions with discrete answers (e.g., multiple choice questions) are included in the export.

If the values are condensed, then the export will contain a column representing the question and the cells for the column will contain the text for the option selected. If the values are not condensed, then the export will contain as many columns as there are options for the question. The cell for these column will contain either '1' or '0' depending on whether the option was selected in the response, respectively.

Example:

Consider multiple choice question "Do you have a cell phone?" with possible answers "yes" and "no", and 2 responses to the question (corresponding to 2 participants), one answering "yes" and the other answering "no".

With the condense option set, the export will contain:

• Verbose

With the condense option not set, the export will contain:

• Encoded

The option encodes values for question with discrete answers in the following manner:

If at most one choice can be selected, then the export contains a single column. The values for the cells in the column correspond to the index of the answer selected within the question.

If more than one choice can be selected, then the export contains a column for each possible choice in the question. The cell for each column contains 1 if the option was selected by the participant and 0 otherwise.

Values to use in export

This option is available when "Verbose" is selected. This option specifies the codes to use in the export to indicate whether options in a multiple choice question or matrices containing discrete options (e.g., matrix segment containing check boxes or radio buttons) are selected or a not selected.

Encode question headers

This option determines the formatting of the column headers in the export. When the option is not selected, the column headers for response data are based of the question short name or the text for the question if the  short name is not defined. When the option is selected, the column headers are formed using the shorthand notation for the question and the question sub elements (i.e., answer, matrix rows, or columns, as applicable).

Export personal respondent data

Determines if the response information (first name, last name, email, ...) are included in the export. This option should be selected only when the survey is identifying or includes a demographic question.

Export response data

Determines if answers to questions for the exported responses are included in the export.

Export survey parameter values

Determines if parameters passed in the URL for the exported responses are included in the export.

Export scores

Determines if scores computed for the exported responses are included in the export.

Export partial pages

Determines if data resulting from a partial save of a survey response will be included in the export. Since data resulting from a partial may violate some constraints defined in the survey (e.g., the range of allowable values for a numeric answers), including data from partial save is not advisable in all situations.

Marker for missing values

Determines the values inserted in cells where no data is available (e.g., when a participant did not answer some of the questions in the exported survey). This option is particularly useful to facilitate the import of the data into a 3rd party analysis tool (e.g., R or SAS) that expect a specific marker for missing values.

Encode values

Specifies the format of the column headers in the export. If the option is selected, the column headers will contain codes. These codes can be interpreted using the the "survey structure" export. If the option is not selected, the column headings in the export will be built from the text of the questions in the survey.