Structuring Questions Into Blocks

In case of a larger number of questions (over 30), it is recommended that you structure questions into blocks, which will increase transparency and add structure to the questionnaire. The 1KA tool will notify you of this option when 30 or more questions have been used. Blocks are only available to 2KA and 3KA private package users.

You can add a block of questions ('B' icon) in the left sidebar menu in the 'EDIT' - 'Questionnaire' tab:

• First, click on the ‘B’ icon to add the block and place it before the first question that you wish to include in the block;
• Drag the 'ENDBLOCK' sign and place it after the last question that you want to have in this block.

An example of a questionnaire that is structured into blocks can be found in the questionnaire library (section '1KA Questionnaire Templates' – Conditions and Filters', 'Structuring Into Blocks'). In order to see the example of blocks in practice, you have to be logged into the 1KA tool and then go to the 'EDIT' - 'Questionnaire' tab. The structuring of questions is even more clearly visible if you use the option 'Display collapsed (one line) view', which is located in the left menu under 'Advanced editing settings'.

Displaying blocks in the form of tabs

When editing blocks you can choose the option ‘Block as a tab’. If this option is on, the respondent can navigate through the survey as usual (with a click on the ‘Next page’) or with clicking on blocks (tabs), which are displayed above. With a click on the individual block/tab, only questions in the selected tab will appear.

It is similar with editing the questionnaire. All questions are displayed if the 'ALL' option is selected and you can navigate through the questionnaire as usual. If you click on the specific tab/block (the list of blocks is displayed above all questions), only the questions in that particular block will appear.

Example of a survey with blocks in the form of tabs >>

Turn on the option of automatic question opening

If we organize the questions into blocks, we have the additional possibility to set the questions within the block so that they are automatically opened when the respondent answers the question. This means that when the respondent answers a question, it closes and automatically opens the next question. This applies to questions of type one answer. There are no automatic closing questions for other types of questions, but the respondent can arbitrarily open and close questions.

The automatic question opening can be arranged by placing the questions in a block and then on the right side under 'Question layout' select the option 'Expanding'.

Example of a survey with the automatic question opening turned on >>

Use of blocks to display the condensed sequence of (hierarchical) questions

Placement of questions ('Question layout') in blocks is by default 'standard'. In this case, the questions are lined one after another. In some cases when you want to display some sequential (hierarchical) questions you can choose a 'horizontal' question layout in blocks. The questions will narrow down and structure into columns. Every question will be set in its own column, horizontally, one after another.

Horizontal question layout is useful especially for sequential filtering of questions (drill-down), which are opened based on conditions.

Random sorting of questions in a block

In the block editing settings, random sorting of questions is available. That means that questions from this block are shown randomly to respondents. We can additionally indicate, how many questions should be displayed to respondents. For instance, random 5 questions from a block of 10 questions can be set to be shown to respondents.

Example: We have a quiz with 100 questions and we want to show 10 questions, out of 100 available, to each respondent.

• We add all questions from the left menu for adding questions;
• We add a block from the left menu before the first question we want to put into a block. Sign "ENDBLOCK" is dragged after the last question in the block;
• We click on the block settings and choose 'Questions' at 'Randomize block content';
• At 'Number of displayed questions' we choose 10.

Random 10 questions from the block of 100 questions will be shown to respondents.

Random sorting of several different blocks

In the event that the survey consists of a larger number of blocks, we have the option of randomly sorting multiple blocks in block editing settings.

Example: we have a survey with three different blocks for which we want to show randomly to the respondents.

• We put all questions from the left menu to add questions;
• Add a block from the left menu and drag it to the first question that you want to place in the block. Then drag the 'ENDBLOCK' tag to the last block question. Put together all the blocks;
• All questions (in all blocks) are placed in a new (main) block;
• Click on the editing of the block, and select 'Blocks' at 'Randomize block content'.

Randomizations of questions, answers, and blocks are also registered in the paradata in the ‘DATA’ – ‘Browse’, where each respondent is registered in the order in the order in which blocks, answers or questions were shown to him.

Example of a survey using random block sorting >> 

Caution: In case any of the above-described settings are enabled (horizontal question layout, random sorting of questions, block in the form of a tab), the block should not contain any page breaks.