Configuring Dynamic Open Text Questions

The Dynamic Open Text Configuration tab holds the properties and fields used to set up the question - .

Figure 1 - The Dynamic Open Text Configuration tab

• Copy Settings - To save you time, you can copy the settings from a Dynamic Open Text question in a different survey. Add the survey id ( for example p1234567) and the Question id of the question you wish to copy the settings from into the fields and click Copy.
• Open Text Input - specify the dimensions of the open text input field - the field into which the respondent will type their answer to your question.
• Width - the width of the field. Type in or select (hover the mouse pointer over the field to show the up/down arrow buttons) the desired numerical value and select the units you wish to use from the dropdown list.
• Height - the height of the field. Type in or select (hover the mouse pointer over the field to show the up/down arrow buttons) the desired numerical value in pixels (px).
• Keywords - here you add the keywords that will elicit a prompt, and the prompt you wish to present in the event the respondent types a keyword into the field. Click Add row to add a new row to the list. Click the X button (this appears only after the changes have been saved) for a row to delete it. Note that the user prompts will be presented to the respondent below the open text input field.
• Keywords - write or copy in a comma-separated list of the words you wish to look for. For example, staff,manager,cashier,salesperson,attendant. Note that if you use the Keywords Capture functionality then these same keywords must be used as the answer options in the keywords multi.
• User Prompts - type into the field the text you wish to present to the respondent in the event he/she includes one of the associated keywords in their response. For example, Please state the name of the member of staff who assisted you. Note that if you use the Keywords Capture functionality then these same prompts must be used as the answer options in the prompts multi.
• Keywords Capture - This functionality is optional, and allows you to capture the keywords a user may have typed and the prompts that are shown to them. Either or both can be captured.
• Keywords field - type into the field the question id of the multi question that is to be used to capture the keywords used by the respondent.
• Prompt field - type into the field the question id of the multi question that is to be used to capture the prompts that are shown to the respondent.
• Gauge - specify the height of the encouragement gauge, and where you want the prompt text to appear relative to the gauge.
• Height - the height of the gauge in pixels. Note that if you want the prompt text to appear inside the gauge then the gauge height must be minimum 14 pixels.
• Prompt Position - select where you want the prompt text to appear. If the gauge is not high enough to accommodate the prompt text (see above) then the text will be presented above the gauge.
• Gauge Values - these are the settings for the colored gauge, and the encouragement texts that are displayed as the respondent adds text to the open text field.
• Min Value - type in or select a value (hover the mouse pointer over the field to show the up/down arrow buttons). Once the respondent has typed this number of characters into the open text field, the gauge will change to the selected color starting at the left end, and the associated prompt text will appear.
• Color - click in the colored square to open a selection box. Here you can select a "standard" color, or you can type the Hex value for any color into the field. The three colors will merge into each other, so you should consider using colors that will complement rather than clash. If a single solid color is desired, set all the boxes to the same color.
• Encouragement Text - type into the fields the text you wish to display to encourage the respondent to provide more information and maybe thank them for their efforts. The message and color will change as the number of characters the respondent types in exceeds the Min Value setting.

When you have completed the setup, click Save in the lower-right corner of the tab to save the changes.

When the respondent types his/her response into the open text field, the gauge will fill with color and the encouragement messages will appear as the appropriate number of characters are added. User prompts will appear below the text field if the respondent includes any of the keywords - .

Figure 2 - Example of what the respondent will see as they input their response, based on the settings in the first figure

Note: The respondent can click on a prompt message and close it. If they then change their text, for example they delete the text and rewrite it, the prompt message will not reappear even if the appropriate keywords are used.

Keywords Capture

The use of this functionality is optional.

This allows you to capture the keywords a user may have typed, and the prompts that are shown to them, even if the respondent later changes their answer. Either or both can be captured.

To achieve this, you must add multi questions to the same page as the Dynamic Open Text (DOT) question, and configure the keywords and / or prompts you would like to capture as "answer options" in the multis. Note that the multi questions defining the keywords and prompts to be captured must appear on the same page in the questionnaire tree, located before the DOT question - .

Figure 3 - The multi questions on the same page as and before the DOT question

The Keywords Capture fields on the Configuration page are as follows - .

The Keywords Capture fields

• Keywords field - type into the field the question id of the multi question that is to be used to capture the keywords used by the respondent.
• Prompt field - type into the field the question id of the multi question that is to be used to capture the prompts that are shown to the respondent.

Set up the multis as "normal" questions, without text or instructions, and using as the answer options the keywords and prompts you have specified in the DOT question - .

The keywords and prompts from the DOT question input as the answer options in the multis

The Flex extension will ensure the multis are hidden from the respondent, and will register all instances of the keywords that the respondent uses, even if the respondent later changes their answer.