Sample
For projects involving the Survey Shaper mailer, you may have some sample fields that you want to refer to in the survey, and/or export with the survey data for analysis. A Sample object allows you to import fields or variables from the sample file to use in the survey.
Important Note: Sample fields imported into the Control Panel mailer will not by default be available for data export. To include sample variables in the data export, they must first be inserted into the survey script as Sample objects (and published). Insertion of Sample objects into the survey can be done at any stage during the data collection period (as long as the sample fields were included in the uploaded sample prior to the mail out of the survey).
Formats Available
The question format is set via the drop down list in the Properties tab.
To change this question format, choose the required format from the drop down list in the 01 Question Format property in the properties pane.
The available formats for Sample objects are:
Sample Field - Verbatim
This format will import free text sample data (e.g. Names, addresses, etc). These variables can be treated in the same manner as a single verbatim question.
Sample Field - Numeric
This format will import numeric (coded) sample data. The applicable answer codes and labels must be specified, and these variables can be treated in the same manner as a single response question.
Things to Consider
If a sample field is to be used in the survey (e.g. for a skip, filter, conditional text), the Sample object must be placed at the beginning of the survey, prior to any questions that reference the sample field.
If there are a large number of sample fields to be imported into the survey, consider placing the Sample objects that are not needed for scripting purposes at the very end of the survey. Too many hidden Sample objects at the start of the survey may slow the page loading time and have a negative impact on user experience.