Special questions are provided, mostly useful for administration of the Field. Each one bears a special alias:
Whenever a call or interview is completed, it is important to capture a call result, and to maintain a record of the case's call history; this is achieved through the collection of result codes. For strategic purposes, however, it is also useful to classify and keep track of cases in terms of their status resulting from certain patterns of call results. The Command Center achieves the latter by maintaining a system variable for each case known as its Case Result.
The Call Result for a case is the last result code collected during the interview.
The Case Result for a case is defined as the last collected result code whose hierarchical level (see the INT question below) is greater than or equal to the level of any result code already encountered. This Case Result can change as many times during an interview as a result code is collected. The current Case Result can be accessed in a questionnaire by inclusion of the special question (S_RES).
Note: The Case Result can also be further modified by the application of Extended Call-back Rules (if used). It can also be modified in the Browser using the Find and Replace tool.
It can be useful to conduct tests against the current Case Result during an interview or in a filter (ex : S_RES = CO CU CA). The Case Result can also be used as a filter to select cases when assigning call-backs, or for printing selected respondents records; it is also displayed in the interviewer's call-back table.
The purpose of questions bearing these aliases is to collect a result code. During a call, whenever a result code is collected in a question bearing the alias INTnn, INT or INTRO (see below), the Case Result of the case is updated. The result of a call, however, is the code collected by the last INTnn (or INT) question which was accessed. Questionnaires should always pass through at least one INTnn (or INT) question, otherwise the interview will be terminated without the collection of a call result.
On completion of a call, the system adds a result code (provided it is collected) to the respondent's call history. Result codes (also known as outcome or disposition codes) are important for administrative purposes since they are:
The primary basis for breakdowns in productivity reports.
Essential for the definition and application of call-back rules.
The means for determining the Case Result (Life State) of a case.
In the case of a call-back, the interview will branch directly to the INTRO question. If no question bears this alias, the interview resumes at the last question that was filled, before the INT question.
Note: The INTRO question should be given a code width of 2. It captures a call result as does an INTnn question.
A question bearing the alias INT01, INT02 or INT12 etc. can be placed anywhere in the questionnaire, preferably before the INT question, to collect a result code. The code width of INTnn questions should be 2, and all the different codes used in a questionnaire's INTnn questions should be included in the INT question (see below). You may program your questionnaire to go through or skip over INTnn questions, depending on the situation.
A question bearing the alias INTRO (see above) also behaves as an INTnn question (provided it has a code width of 2), but has the additional property that it will be the first question jumped to on a call-back.
Warning: Placing an INTnn question after the CB (call-back)question is not recommended, since any call-back rule that it may apply would overwrite the call-back details collected in the CB question.
All questionnaires should include the INT question which must be placed after the completion question. During the interview, if the interviewer types ? (a question mark) as a response to any question or clicks on the Interrupt button, the interview will automatically branch to this INT question if it exists. If it does not, the interview will be terminated.
It is also the question which the system consults for the definitive list of all result codes used for call-back rules and for productivity report breakdowns. Since all result codes must be included in the INT question, Design scans every INTnn question when compiling the questionnaire, and copies every unique code (with its label) into the INT question. You may use the N attribute to make certain codes unavailable to the interviewer when reaching the INT question. Design does this automatically for choices which it has assembled from INTnn questions.
The INT question's choice list differs from all other questions in that it has an extra column (titled Level) where you can assign a hierarchical level to each code. The Case Result is updated when a result code is collected whose Level is greater than or equal to previous levels encountered:
Important:
The INT question should always be located after the actual survey questions, and after the completion question. The completion question must never be the INT question itself.
The code width of the INT question should be 2. There is no restriction on the number of choices.
Avoid using RS as a code in the INT question; this is a reserved code assigned by the system when resetting a case in the Data Browser.
It is good practice to include an INTnn question (say INT99) for the sole purpose of capturing the call result for a completed interview. This is placed before the INT question and can be designated as the completion question.
When using the services of Pronto for Predictive or Non-Predictive dialing, the call result code may be provided by Pronto without the questionnaire being accessed, see the Number Server Configuration. In this type of campaign, you must add these call result codes to your INT question to so that you can set up the appropriate call-back rules, and obtain productivity reports broken out by these codes. The default call result codes configured for a Pronto Number Server are:
P1 - No answer
P2 - Busy
P3 - Operator Intercept: Tri-Tone and ISDN codes received from provider.
P4 - Answered and dropped: Possible if using Predictive Dialing when no interviewer is available to take the connected call.
P5 - Answering Machine: Possible if Answering Machine detection is activated.
P6 - Fax, Modem: Detected (using Call Progress Analysis) after the call is connected.
P7 - No Ring, No Dial Tone, Cancelled: Errors on the internal loop.
P8 - Default Value
P9 - In Do Not Call List
When using the services of Pronto for Preview or Hybrid dialing, if the Auto-Disposition option (see Preview module) is in effect, the dialer will return the call result code. In this type of campaign, you must add these call result codes to your INT question to so that you can set up the appropriate call-back rules, and obtain productivity reports broken out by these codes. The default call result codes configured for a Pronto Number Server are:
A1 - No answer
A2 - Busy
A3 - Operator Intercept
A4 - Answered and dropped
A5 - Answering Machine
A6 - Fax, Modem
A7 - No Ring, No Dial Tone, Cancelled
A8 - Default Value
The following result codes should be included, since they can be returned by IntWeb Server:
W0 - Time out
W1 - More than one session attempted on the same case
W2 - Project inactivated while session in progress
W3 - Disconnected by supervisor
A questionnaire could be designed to include the three following questions, the first one at the beginning of the questionnaire, the second one after the survey questions, and the third one at the end:
|
Position |
Question |
|
At the beginning of the questionnaire |
INT01 May I please speak to <name > ? |
|
After the survey questions |
INT99 Thank you for completing this questionnaire |
|
At the end of the questionnaire |
INT Enter the call result |
LASTQ, while not a question alias, stands for the last question that was filled before the INT question. It is typically used as a skip destination in the INTRO question, to resume the interview at the place in the questionnaire where the last session was terminated. The INTRO question itself, or any question that precedes it, will never be considered as the last question filled unless the interview never went beyond it.
In typical scenarios, the skip to LASTQ must be in the INTRO question or the one following it. Consider a question positioned between the INTRO question and the one containing the ‘Skip to LASTQ’. When filled (manually or automatically), it will become the new LASTQ reference and the subsequent Skip to LASTQ will attempt to reach that question by following the questionnaire path; this is likely to be impossible in the current interview. In this situation, the skip would probably stop on the first unfilled question or reach the end of the questionnaire if all questions are optional.
When an interviewing session is terminated, the index position of the 'last question filled' is saved.
On the next session, when a skip to LASTQ is encountered, the questionnaire logic is re-enacted (based on current responses, including current rows of rosters) in an attempt to reach this ‘LASTQ’ index and display the following question. If any question is encountered on the way with an invalid answer, the process will be stopped and the question will be displayed.
The ‘last question filled’ is saved as an index because there is no guarantee that the return interview questionnaire will contain the same question aliases as the current questionnaire making it impossible to return to the same point. It enables the questionnaire being executed to be different from the one last accessed, whether due to a different collection module being used, or changes having been made to the questionnaire.
Warning: Unpredictable results should be expected if the index position of the 'last question filled’ might be different, particularly if the question is in a rotation or permutation.
Note: A skip to LASTQ is 'non-cleaning', and questions in the path that are ‘computed’ or bear a 'Selection Mask' are not modified.
Surveys to which quotas are applied (ceilings on the number of completed interviews) can be assisted by using an INTQT question. The function of this question is identical to an INTnn question (see above) with the additional feature that the questionnaire will jump to this question the moment the case is detected as belonging to a stratum whose quota is full. If there is no INTQT question, the questionnaire will jump to the INT question.
Note: To avoid the case being flagged as Completed, the INTQT question is best placed after the INT question. If placed before the INT question, it should be placed before the Completion question.
Allows the interviewer to set a specific call-back date and time. This call-back time will override any date and time that may have been set by a call-back rule.
The CB question should always be located after the INT question.
The response to the CB question consists of a date followed by a time. The question should be set for 1 response only and a code width of 12; this will be set automatically when the $CH mask is applied (see below).
The CB question should include a $CH or $CHS mask which displays a pop-up calendar and a scrollable list of appointment times from which the interviewer can select the date and time respectively.
Note: The list of selectable appointment times defaults to increments of 5 minutes. You can increase this increment through the optional I argument.
Example: $CH I=15. This will display selectable appointment times in increments of 15 minutes.
The content of this question will be displayed in the interviewer’s call-back table (max: 30 characters displayed).
This question is used to specify the interview languages, it should have as many choices as languages which are to be supported (up to 99). It governs the list of languages offered in the drop-down list presented in the upper right of Design's main screen, and the languages offered for selection by the interviewer during the interview. If the interviewer passes through this question, the interview language will be switched to the one chosen.
The choice codes must conform to the ISO Language Code (2 characters). In this case the LANG question must be given a code width of 2. A right-click in the code field brings up a list of the languages with their codes from which to choose; both the label and code fields will be filled.
The TZONE question is used to store Universal Time Zones. In this scheme, each case (respondent) is classified into one of 75 time zones (numbered 1-75) each representing a specific time-offset with respect to GMT. The TZONE question must be given a code width of 2. Using the command Center's Importation tool you import a value of 01-75 into this question.
A table detailing all of the universal time zones, together with their GMT offsets is accessible in the Command Center's Preferences menu.
Determination of time zones: The interviewer's time zone, obtained from his/her user profile when logging in, determines the difference between the interviewer's local time and the respondent’s time; this is reflected in the call-back calendar which appears when setting a call-back. The web server's time zone, defined through IwebMan, “converts” the call-back time accordingly.
Storage and display of dates/times: Call-back times are registered on the SQL server in GMT. Cases are dispatched to logged-in workstations when their call-back time on the server has been reached.
Warning: When reassigning call-backs, they are displayed in the user's time zone; you need to verify the respondent’s time zone in order to schedule a call-back at an appropriate time.
Notes:
In North America, when importing telephone numbers, the appropriate time zone can automatically determined from the area code and assigned to the TZONE question. See Importation Page.
The TZONE question can be useful for controlling access to sample subsets (strata in the Strata/Quotas page) according to time of day.
The NOTES question may be reached from anywhere in the questionnaire and enables the interviewer to record pre-coded or verbatim notes which are identified, by questionnaire number, interviewer, date and question.
It is activated by the Notes button, and does not have to be declared as a procedure. To define it, just create a question named NOTES (we suggest after the INT question). The NOTES question can have a choice list and should allow for open-ended lines.
The notes are written into the project database and can be viewed in the (data) Browser. They can be extracted using the Extraction tool by choosing a TXT output file and selecting the NOTES question. The notes will be extracted to a file bearing the designated output filename together with a .NOT extension.
Important: The NOTES question can be designed like any other question regarding the data collection format (coded responses, open-ended part, mask, etc).
Tips:
These notes are useful for troubleshooting or providing feedback to the designer or project director, when pre-testing a questionnaire for instance.
If the information collected is to be accessed later in the interview or in a subsequent call, use regular questions, possibly associated with a hot-button - see Hot Buttons (in particular F6) below.
If you wish simply to take a note which will be displayed to the interviewer when reviewing the call history, then the question should be designated in the Project Field Options.
Any question with one of these aliases may be reached during the interview by clicking the corresponding button. When used in conjunction with a block of questions defined as a procedure, they can be used to provide on-line help screens or summaries to the interviewer.
Notes:
The Message text of a hot key question (if any) will be used rather than its alias inside its button which is displayed on the screen during the interview.
In CATI mode, the contents of the F6 question (if any) can be accessed from the call-backs screen by clicking in the respondent's column titled "Memo".
A question with one of these aliases may be reached during an IVRMM 'interview' when the respondent presses the * key once or twice respectively. When used in conjunction with a block of questions defined as a procedure, they can be used, for example, to provide on-line help or to repeat the question.
Note: By convention the FSTAR question is used as the first question in a procedure to transfer the respondent to an interviewer.
The call history for the current case can be accessed during the interview. To enable this feature, a question bearing the alias F11 must be included in the questionnaire, and it must be declared as a procedure. The call history icon 
will appear in the interviewer's call-backs table and in the interviewing screen (to the right of the navigation bar.) A click on the icon will display the call history.
When a question with the alias TELnn (TEL01 TEL02 etc.) is accessed, its contents will automatically replace the respondent’s telephone number (contained in the system variable $N).
Whenever the Case Result of a case changes, its new code will be written to the question bearing the alias S_RES (if it is included in the questionnaire).
When the questionnaire is compiled, all the choices of the INT question will be automatically copied to the S_RES question. Hence, you can use discrete tests based on S_RES in skips and filters.
Note: You can import data into the S_RES question, this will automatically update the Case Result (the $R system variable). Bear in mind, however, that this does not take into account the level of the previous Case Result (if any) with respect to the application of Extended Call-back Rules.
Whenever sample is imported, the import date will be written to the question bearing the alias S_DIM (if it is included in the questionnaire).
Note: The S_DIM question must also be included in the Field Mapping list in the Importation page.
Whenever sample is imported, the sequence number of the import will be written to the question bearing the alias S_VIM (if it is included in the questionnaire).
Note: The S_VIM question must also be included in the Field Mapping list in the Importation page.
END is used as a destination for skips to terminate an interview. It may not be used as a question alias.
If auto-dialing is desired, it will occur when entering this question. This question does not possess any special alias, and is defined as the first question encountered which has a $PRONTO DIAL mask.
When using Voxco's Panel Manager, questions bearing the following aliases can be linked to equivalent variables in the panelist database: PANID. PGUID, EMAIL, PIN
When using the Email Manager for sending emails to respondents in the Panel Manager, a question bearing the S_MSD alias will be filled with the data and time at which the email was sent.
When a question with the alias PIN01 is accessed, its contents will replace the contents of the system variable containing the PIN number. This is useful for blocking access to the case when using its original PIN number, for example blocking access to a case that has already been completed.