Loops (repeat sections)

Note: Loops are only available as part of the Expert license.

This article explains how to work with loops. Loops are used in surveys where the same set of questions is asked multiple times, e.g. for each product used by the respondent. Loops allow to:

• Save a lot of time on programming surveys with repeating sets of questions.
• Keep short & clear survey structure even for large surveys.
• Conduct faster & more insightful type of analysis not possible otherwise.

Introduction

Loops enable you to repeat a section based on a list of items. The respondents will answer the same set of questions for the specified list items. For instance, when you ask your target group which video streaming services they use, and you want them to answer same questions for all of these services, loops will offer the perfect solution.

As seen in the visualization below, a looped section starts over and repeats all questions by the list items that should be shown to the respondent.

This means question q4, q5 and q6 will be shown in order, but then when the cycle starts over, they will be shown again to the respondent. This means that q4, q5 and q6 will be shown multiple times to one respondent and the specified list items (for instance streaming services) will be displayed by using placeholders.

How to configure looped sections in a survey

Video tutorial

The video below shows how you can:

1. Create a list.
2. Create a looped section based on this list.
3. Use placeholders for selected list items.
4. See how this is displayed for a respondent.

How to analyze data from looped sections

Video tutorial

In this video we will show you:

1. How to create a Basic Report based on looped sections.
2. How to create a Dashboard based on looped sections.

How do loops affect analysis of survey results?

Let’s assume we have a survey with one looped section which is named “Shoe Brands”. In this section we ask 3 questions per each shoe brand, selected from a defined shoe brands list:

In the following sections we briefly explain how to analyze those questions based on the report type.

1. How to analyze results in Basic Report / Segmented Excel / Expert Report

For Basic Report, Segmented Excel Report and Expert reports the report wizard automatically create correct analysis for looped and non-looped questions.

When selecting a question from a looped section, the wizard will generate one page group per each possible loop iteration.

In our scenario, the report wizard creates one page group per item on a list (label shown in the group title) and shows question text the same way as respondents see them per each loop iteration:

In an excel reports (including the segmented excel report) it looks the same way, except the questions are not grouped in sections:

To summarize, for Basic Report, Segmented Excel Report and Expert Report analysis, all considerations regarding loops are automatically included. They don’t require any special settings or knowledge to analyze results correctly.

2. How to analyze raw data results

Here it is important to understand the underlying data structure of a survey with loops. In short, each loop iteration creates “Child Interview” that is linked to the “Master Interview”. All those interviews are created based on one respondent answering the survey.

Please reference this page to learn more about Master and Child interviews, and how to export and interpret raw data results in general for surveys with loops.

3. How to analyze results in Dashboard Report

In Dashboard Report, it is possible to flexibly create basic and complex tables. To allow for this flexibility, you have an option to include or exclude child interviews from each table, depending on which question(s) you want to analyze.

For quick & easy analysis, we always recommend to start with table wizard.

Table wizard step 1

In the first step, the wizard asks you whether you want to include the the child interviews in the analysis or not:

To make sure your calculations are correct:

1. Include child interviews, when you want to create tables based on questions inside looped section.
2. Don’t include child interviews, when you want to create tables based on questions outside looped section.

Whenever child interviews are included in a table, answers for questions outside loop section are repeated for each child interview. You should not analyze questions outside loop section in tables with child interviews included, unless you fully understand the underlying data structure and use additional filters for such table.

To better understand the master and child interviews data structure, please reference this page.

Table wizard step 2

When child interviews are included, the wizard suggests you to segment tables by the loop variable:

In most cases, following this advice will produce the type of tables and charts you expect from the looped questions:

Table wizard step 3

In the question wizard step you are now limited to select questions only from the looped sections, to avoid making mistakes:

As you can see, the loops data structure makes it possible to analyze the same question for all list items in one table (and one chart). It would not be possible in alternative scenario, where survey would contain multiple manually created questions instead of a looped one.

How to work with loops in Value Assignment field

Value Assignment field outside looped section

If you work with Value Assignment field outside loop section and want to reference value from the looped section, you can easily find a correct placeholder to use in a VA placeholder list:

Value Assignment field inside looped section

Similarly, if you want to dynamically work with looped variables in the Value Assignment field inside the looped section, you can find another set of helpful placeholders in the placeholder list:

Custom variables

The same rules apply to custom variables, even though they are not visible on the placeholders list. There are 2 main scenarios for using custom variables inside the looped section:

Scenario 1: Change custom variable “globally” for all related interviews

Each time this VA field is executed, CustomVariable value for all master and child interviews created by this one respondent becomes larger by 1:

CustomVariable = CustomVariable + 1

This scenario might be useful if you assign values not related to looped questions.

Scenario 2: Change custom variable only for current loop interview (master or child)

Each time this VA field is executed, CustomVariable value changes only for the current loop child interview:

_currentLoop.CustomVariable = _currentLoop.q2

This scenario might be useful if you assign values related to looped questions. e.g values of looped questions.

Loops Limitations

Child interviews are created only for completed surveys.

You will not see child interviews (and therefore answers to looped questions) for surveys “in progress”. If you need to see them for your analysis, we recommend the following steps (only senseful after finishing survey field phase):

• Add custom variable “OriginalInterviewStatus” of type string to the survey
• With excel raw data upload, copy current interview status value to this new custom variable
• With excel raw data upload, change “in progress” interviews status to “completed”
• This operation will result in creation of child interviews for previously “in progress” interviews and preserving the original interview status in a new custom variable

Loop feature doesn’t have an option to switch off child interviews and create separate variables for each question for each loop.

In the current state, loop feature will always create child interviews. There is no option to switch off child interviews and automatically create separate variables for each question for each loop.

To achieve that type of variables structure, there are 2 possibilities:

1. Manually create all questions, without using loop feature.
2. Use loop feature, create your desired variables structure with custom variables, and assign each loop answers to the correct custom variable.