Glossary
A reference guide to the terminology used throughout Data Explorer.
Aggregation
Section titled “Aggregation”The process of grouping data into summary categories. In Data Explorer, date aggregation groups date values into time periods like days, weeks, months, quarters, or years.
The total number of respondents in a column. When Column % is enabled, the base shows how many responses the percentages are calculated from.
Batch tables
Section titled “Batch tables”A feature that generates multiple explorations at once by creating one exploration for each combination of selected row and column variables.
Column %
Section titled “Column %”A format option that displays cell values as a percentage of the column total. This shows what proportion of respondents in each column selected each row option.
Column n
Section titled “Column n”The response count displayed at the bottom of each column, showing the total number of responses for that column.
Column total
Section titled “Column total”A format option that displays the sum of all values in each column.
Crosstab
Section titled “Crosstab”A table that displays the relationship between two or more variables by showing the frequency distribution of responses across rows and columns. Also known as a cross-tabulation or contingency table. See also Table.
Data store
Section titled “Data store”The source of data for your explorations. Data stores can be Survey Shaper surveys or data uploaded through Data Wrangler.
Date aggregation
Section titled “Date aggregation”The process of grouping date or time values into specific time periods (hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, or years) for analysis.
Decimal places
Section titled “Decimal places”A format option that controls how many digits appear after the decimal point in displayed values.
Effective sample size
Section titled “Effective sample size”A metric displayed when weights are applied that indicates the equivalent number of unweighted observations that would produce the same statistical precision. Lower values indicate efficiency losses from unequal weights.
Exploration
Section titled “Exploration”An individual analysis created within a workspace. Explorations display data in tables or charts and can include filters, formatting options, and weights.
Export
Section titled “Export”The process of downloading exploration data. Tables can be exported to Excel format, while charts can be exported as PNG images.
Filter
Section titled “Filter”A condition applied to limit which records are included in your analysis. Filters allow you to focus on specific subsets of your data.
Financial year
Section titled “Financial year”A date aggregation option that groups data by fiscal year. Available start dates include April 1 (UK/India), July 1 (Australia), and October 1 (US Federal).
Format Options
Section titled “Format Options”Settings that control what information is displayed in your exploration, such as counts, percentages, means, and statistical tests.
Hide empty categories
Section titled “Hide empty categories”A format option that removes rows or columns that contain no responses from the display.
Locking
Section titled “Locking”A feature that prevents accidental modifications to an exploration. Locked explorations continue to receive data updates but cannot be edited until unlocked by the workspace owner.
A format option that displays the average value for each column. Available when numeric data is present.
Merging
Section titled “Merging”The process of combining multiple categories into a single item, replacing the original categories with one merged category.
Multi-response Variable
Section titled “Multi-response Variable”A variable type that allows respondents to select multiple answers to a single question. Percentages for multi-response variables can exceed 100% since each respondent may contribute to multiple categories.
Net / Netting
Section titled “Net / Netting”The process of creating an additional row or column that shows the sum of selected categories while keeping the original items visible. Useful for displaying subtotals.
Rolling periods
Section titled “Rolling periods”A date aggregation feature that creates moving date ranges combining results across multiple time periods. For example, a 3-month rolling period shows each month’s data combined with the previous two months.
A format option that displays cell values as a percentage of the row total.
The response count displayed at the right of each row, showing the total number of responses for that row.
Row total
Section titled “Row total”A format option that displays the sum of all values in each row.
Scheduled export
Section titled “Scheduled export”An automated recurring export that runs at specified intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly) without manual intervention.
Stat Testing
Section titled “Stat Testing”A format option that performs statistical tests (t-tests for means, z-tests for proportions) to identify statistically significant differences between groups. Significant results are highlighted in the table.
Sticky headers
Section titled “Sticky headers”A table styling option that freezes column and row headers so they remain visible when scrolling through large tables.
Style Preset
Section titled “Style Preset”A saved collection of table styling choices (fonts, colors, borders) that can be quickly applied to multiple explorations for consistent formatting.
Subtotal
Section titled “Subtotal”A format option for multi-variable crosstabs that shows subgroup response totals.
Suppress nulls
Section titled “Suppress nulls”A format option that hides cells with no data instead of displaying zeros.
The default display format for explorations in Data Explorer. Tables show data in rows and columns with various format options available (counts, percentages, means, etc.). When a table includes both row and column variables, it becomes a crosstab. Tables can be customized using style presets and exported to Excel format.
Total %
Section titled “Total %”A format option that displays cell values as a percentage of the grand total across all rows and columns.
Value variable
Section titled “Value variable”A numeric variable (decimal or boolean type) placed in the Values zone of an exploration. Only one value variable can be used per exploration.
Variable
Section titled “Variable”A data field from your data store that can be used in explorations. Variables can represent survey questions, calculated fields, or imported data columns.
Weighting
Section titled “Weighting”An adjustment applied to analysis to account for sampling differences, allowing data to better represent the target population. Weight variables must be numeric and have names ending with _wted.
Workspace
Section titled “Workspace”A container folder required to create and store explorations. Workspaces can contain subfolders (up to 3 levels deep) and can be shared with other users.
Workspace navigator
Section titled “Workspace navigator”The panel on the left side of Data Explorer that displays your workspaces, folders, and explorations in a hierarchical tree structure.