Module

A Module is a mini survey that can be easily dropped in and out of any parent survey. Modules are useful for ongoing tracking surveys, where you want to ask a specific set of questions for only a specific period of time.

In a module, the survey flowchart is set up with skips and filters, and it’s published just as a survey would be. Unlike Question Sets, a module is self-contained, so the individual objects can’t be edited within the parent survey. All edits must be made in the module itself.

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Creating a module

Here’s how to create a new Module:

1. Click Survey Shaper in the header bar to open the Survey Shaper home page
2. Click the CREATE button and select Module from the dropdown menu
3. Give your module a Name (you can edit the name later if you need to), then click Save
4. Your new module will open in a Survey Shaper window — add questions to the survey flowchart in the same way as you would to build a survey
5. Save and Preview the module

Unique variable names

When adding objects to a module, you must use unique variable names that won’t be used in a parent survey or another module. We recommend establishing a naming convention such as “M1Q1”, where Q1 is prefixed with an “M” (for “Module”) and the module number (“1” being the first module created). Any duplicate variable names will cause an error.

Start and End objects

By default, all new modules will be populated with the same “Start” and “End” objects as with a new survey. Neither of these objects are required in a module (they’re contained in the parent survey that the module will be inserted into) and can therefore be deleted.

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Adding a module to a survey

Here’s how to add a module to the survey flowchart:

Survey Editor (Legacy)

1. Drag the Module object from the Toolbox into the survey flowchart, or double-click it
2. In the Quick Update Box, select the name of the module you want to insert from the Select Module dropdown
3. Click OK

You can also select the module name in the Module question property.

Survey Editor (Beta)

1. Drag the Module card from the Add to survey toolbar into the flowchart, or click it to add it at the end
2. In Quick Update, select the module in the Module version dropdown. Each module is listed with its version, for example “Demographics (version 3)”.
3. Click OK

You can also choose the module in the Module version dropdown in the Properties pane. If a module you expect isn’t listed, click Refresh choices. Archived and deleted modules aren’t listed.

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Removing a module from a survey

To temporarily remove a module from the parent survey flowchart, check the Disable question property. A disabled module is indicated by an icon in the survey flowchart. To reinstate, simply uncheck the Disable property.

Here’s how to permanently remove a module from the parent survey flowchart:

1. Open the Module object’s menu
2. Select Delete Object, then click Yes to confirm
3. Save the survey

Data availability

The variables within a disabled or deleted module are still available for data export.

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Opening a module

Here’s how to open a module:

1. Click Survey Shaper in the header bar, then expand the Survey Modules category in the content table
2. Click the View icon for the module you want to open

Published modules are read-only

If the module has been published, it’s read only. If you need to make changes to the module, you’ll need to save as a new version.

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Editing a module after inserting it into a survey

You can make changes to a module after it’s been inserted into a parent survey. However, these changes won’t be automatically reflected in the parent survey. If you want the updated module to show in the parent survey, you’ll need to link the survey to the updated version of the module.

Here’s how to update the parent survey after making changes to a module:

1. Publish the module
2. Open the parent survey
3. Click on the Module object
4. Select the new version of the module. In Survey Editor (Legacy), click the Module ellipsis button in the question properties tab, click the new version in the Module Lookup box, and click Select. In Survey Editor (Beta), choose the new version in the Module version dropdown (click Refresh choices if it isn’t listed yet).

Preview before publishing

You can preview the module within the parent survey without publishing the module, however you must publish the module before you can publish the parent survey.

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Editing a published module

Here’s how to edit a published module:

1. Click Survey Shaper in the header bar, then expand the Survey Modules category in the content table
2. Click the more icon (⋮) for the module
3. Select Scripting > Save As New Version to create a new version of the module
4. Make the required changes in the survey flowchart and Save

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Preview module

You can preview the module within the parent survey without publishing the module, however you must publish the module before you can publish the parent survey.

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Finding modules

If you’re having trouble finding a module, try the following:

• Click Survey Shaper in the header bar, then expand the Survey Modules category in the content table
• Click the Refresh icon to reload the list
• Select the Archived Content tab to view archived modules
• Use the search box to filter by module name

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Renaming a module

Here’s how to rename a module:

1. Open the module
2. Open the project properties
3. Edit the text in the Survey Title property
4. Click OK (SAVE in Survey Editor (Beta))

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Deleting a module

To delete a module, click the module’s more icon (⋮) in the content table and select Delete.

Deleted modules are moved to the Recycle Bin tab where they can be recovered within 30 days or permanently deleted.

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Recovering a deleted module

Here’s how to recover a deleted module from the Recycle Bin:

1. Click Survey Shaper in the header bar
2. Select the Recycle Bin tab
3. Click the more icon (⋮) for the module you want to recover
4. Select Restore

The module will be restored to the active list. For more information about the Recycle Bin, see the Content table documentation.

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Archiving a module

Archiving a module removes it from the active list and it’s no longer available for selection when adding a Module object to the survey flowchart.

To archive a module, click the module’s more icon (⋮) in the content table and select Archive.

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Unarchiving a module

Here’s how to unarchive a module:

1. Click Survey Shaper in the header bar, then expand the Survey Modules category
2. Select the Archived Content tab
3. Click the more icon (⋮) for the module
4. Select Unarchive

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Finish Action in a module

Modules should not contain objects with a Finish Action. Finish Actions should be assigned in the parent survey.

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Display logic

Display logic can be set at the module object level using the Define Filter question property. The module questions will only be presented to a respondent when the filter criteria are met.

Here’s how to create a module filter:

1. Select the module object in the survey flowchart
2. In either the Quick Update Box or Question Properties Tab, click on the Define Filter box
3. Enter the filter criteria by typing directly in the box (remember to preface all question references with ”@”), or by using the Filter Builder button on the far right of the property box in Survey Editor (Legacy), or Open rule builder in Survey Editor (Beta)
4. Save the survey — the filter description will now be visible in the survey flowchart (if filters are turned on in the flowchart display options)

Use parentheses for complex filters

For complicated filters, use parentheses (round brackets) to ensure that the syntax is being evaluated in the order intended.

All questions referred to in the filter need to precede the filtered module.

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Filters, skips and dynamic text inside a module

Filters, skips and dynamic text are set up in the same way as they are in a survey. They can be based on variables in the parent survey or variables within the module itself.

When referring to a question in the parent survey, preface the variable name with ”@” (e.g. @Q1).

When referencing a question within the module, preface the variable name with ”@” and the tag <module> (e.g. @<module>M1Q1). If the reference is missing the <module> prefix, the script will search for the question in the parent survey, resulting in an error.

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Multimedia

You can add images, video, and audio to questions and answers in a module in the same way as in a survey. However, when adding an image, you’ll need to specify the full path name.