Linked Answers

This feature allows you to link answers from one question to another.

Benefits

– It improves the respondent experience.
– It cuts down the manual work needed to create survey questions.
– The data is automatically filtered on the questions you define.
– It is easy to use.
– It is optional.

What does it do?

It allows you to show only the responses given at a previous question, so that respondents do not need to repeat themselves or give a response to something that is not relevant to them.

The example here shows that respondents can answer which brand they have ever bought, based on the brands they have previously said they were aware of.

It isn’t ground breaking but it is essential for quality survey writing.

What is a Linked Answer?

Linked Answers connects two questions together using a ‘Parent’ question and a ‘Child’ question. The ’Parent’ question refers to a question that can be used as the base for a follow-up question. The ‘Child’ question is the follow-up question that allows for responses to be linked to the previous question (the ‘Parent’) i.e. the answers given at the ‘Parent’ question can be shown as the choice of answers given at the ‘Child’ question.

The question types below can be used as the ‘Parent’ question; meaning the answers given at these questions can then be used to inform a new question (e.g. the Child question).

– Multiple choice – i.e. brand awareness
– Matrix – i.e. brand image (attributes/associations)
– Single answer – i.e. brand used most often (This question can only be used as the ‘Child’ question as it requires only one answer).
– Multiple Score
– Ranking

How to find the new feature?

The option to use Linked Answers, only appears from question 2 onwards. This is because at question 1 there is no previous question to link to. The option will appear in the questions menu shown on the left-hand side of the screen.

How does it work?

Once you click on the option it will appear like this. In this example, you are presented with two drop-down menus, these are called the ‘Parent Question’ i.e. the ‘Parent’. Here you choose which question to link the ‘Child Question’ to (i.e. the ‘Child’). Only for a Matrix style question will you see these two options, for a multiple choice or single answer question you will only see the ‘Parent Question’ drop-down for the answer options.

The ‘Question Options’ is the drop-down for choosing which previous responses will be displayed in the matrix as a question i.e. brands aware of. You could then use a consideration scale as your answer options for example. The ’Question Options’ drop-down is only shown for a Matrix question. These represent the equivalent x-axis in the matrix grid.

The ‘Answer Options’ is the drop-down for choosing which previous question responses will be displayed as possible answers i.e. source of advertising awareness.

The linked question and Answers can come from different ‘Parent’ questions.

If a respondent coded ‘None of the above’, ‘Don’t know’ or ‘Other’ (in isolation) at the ‘Parent’ question, then their answers will not qualify them for the ‘Child’ question, they will skip this question.