Question Type: Sort

Question Type: Sort

Overview

In a Sort question,  Panelists are presented with a group of samples or concepts and asked to organize them into bins.

There are three types of Sort questions available:
  1. Free sort:  The Free Sort question allows panelists to sort products into their own categories. The sorting task is a simple procedure for collecting similarity data in which each panelist groups together stimuli based on their perceived similarities. Sorting is based on categorization, a natural cognitive process routinely used in everyday life, and does not require a quantitative response.
    The final objective of the sorting task is to reveal, via statistical analyses, the structure of the product space and to interpret its underlying dimensions.
    Panelists can label the categories (groups) according to their perception.
  2. Sort all:  Panelists are presented a list of choices and are asked to sort them all into the provided groups. 
  3. Sort n:  Panelists are presented a list of choices and are asked to sort a set of them into all the provided groups. 
For the full page view of this article, in the top right-hand corner, please click on the icon with an arrow.


Question Compatibility

Sort questions are compatible with the following test types:
  1. Standard test
  2. Survey
  3. 2-AFC

Add the Question:

  1. From the Build area of your questionnaire, click the blue Add Element button on the left. 
  2. Select Sort  and click one of the following Rank options: 
    1. Free sort
    2. Sort all
    3. Sort n
  3. Update Question Name field. 
  4. Click Add panelist instructions for this question to add text. 
The Free sort question will have pre-loaded text set up by Compusense. This can be modified as needed. 
Images can be added in the panelist Instructions.
You are able to drag and drop a question to the location of your choice when adding in a new question to your questionnaire. You can also move your question after adding it by using the Move up and Move down arrows.

Question Options

Click Question options to access a list of options available to further customize your question.



If you don't see the menu options on the right, click the question in the build area to highlight the question.

Options in the General Tab 


Option Name  

Option Description  

Question name  

The  Question Name  is the label displayed for analysts in the heading of the following areas: 

  1. Question in the Build area of your test.
  2. Analysis Reports, Graphs and Exports.

Show question name to panelists   

Click to display the  Question Name  to panelists or to hide it from them. 

Display name  


Enter the text that you wish to display to the panelist if your  Question Name  is of a sensitive nature and should not be visible to them.

Sensitive data 

Click  Yes  to flag the collected results for this question as sensitive.  


If the panelist unsubscribes or is deleted from the Panelists library by an administrator, their data collected in questions marked as sensitive will also be removed.  

Data collected in questions that are not marked as sensitive will remain in your tests even after a panelist is unsubscribed/deleted.  

Options in the Display Tab 


Option Name 

Option Description 


Show question 


This will control whether your question will be sample related, test related, or not sample related. 

  1. For all samples : The question will display for all the samples in your test. 
  2. For selected samples: The question will display for specific samples only in your test.
  3. Once (not sample related): The question will display only once and will not be sample related. This is useful for collecting demographic data.  


Present question


Specify how you'd like the question to appear:     

  1. Monadically/one sample at a time :  This will display the question to the panelists one sample at a time.   
  2. All samples at first opportunity : This will display the question to the panelists for all the samples on the same page, in the first cycle through the questionnaire.  
  3. All samples at last opportunity :  This will display the question to the panelist for all the samples on the same page, in the last cycle through the questionnaire.
In a test that has all not sample related questions (i.e. in the Survey test type), the question will be displayed in the order it is in the list of questions.  


Choice display (not available for Free sort )


Select from the following choice components to be displayed to the panelists:  

  1. Choice label only:  Display the text label only.  
  2. Choice image only:  Display only the image associated with the choice. 
  3. Choice label and image:    Display both the image associated with the choice and the text label. Add an image to your choice in the Choice/Concept tab.  
By default,  Choice label option is selected.  


Options in the Choices Tab - Choices Created


Option Name  
Option Description 

Choice


Identifies how many choices are in the question.  
Images can be added in the panelist Instructions. Hover over a choice number and the cursor will change like this:  

Click and drag the choice to a different spot in the question. The value will not be updated when the choice is moved to a different order in the list. 

Text 
Edit the text to label the choices.  
Value 
Enter the number indicating the value that will be assigned to each concept in the test results. The values can be updated after results have been collected.  

Image 

Click   Add image   to associate an image with the choice.      
If you want this image to display to panelists, you will need to ensure the  Choice display     option, found in the  Display    tab, is set to either   Choice image only   or   Choice label and image   .
Presentation order design
Update this to Use design  for each choice if you would like to set a design for the order in which choices are displayed to panelists. 
Delete 
Click          to remove the choice from your question.     
+ Add Choice 
Click to add additional choices at the bottom of the list of your question.  
+ Add piped choices
Click to add a choice based on the response from a previous question (question piping).
View choice design
View the design added to your choices. 
Reset values

Click to renumber the values in the  Value  column to be in the ascending order.  
This is helpful for choices that were manually moved around to ensure that the values reflect the final choice order.  
Presentation order design
Select the design to use on your choices if you have set your choices to use a design.
Shuffle choice order
Select this if you would like to further shuffle the design used on your choices. 
Choice order assignment for samples within each sample set
Select from the following options:
  1. Same order - Panelists will see the choices in the same order for each of their samples. 
  2. Different order - Panelists will see their choices in a different order for each of their samples. 

Options in the Choices Tab - Samples as Choices/Free Sort

To use samples as your choices, in the Choices tab, toggle the option Use samples as choices to Yes . 



Option Name  
Option Description 
Sample display


Select an option from the following:
  1. Sample label only  - Sample choices display text label only, as selected in Sample label to show list.
  2. Sample multimedia only  - Sample choices display only the image associated with the sample in Samples and Design.
  3. Sample label and multimedia  - Sample choices display with both the selected label and associated image.
Sample label to show
Select and option from the following:
  1. Sample blinding code   - Sample blinding codes display to panelists.
  2. Sample name   - Sample names display to panelists.
  3. Product name   - Product names as stored in the Product library display to panelists.
  4. Product code   - Product codes as stored in the Product library display to panelists.
Sample order
Select the sample order from the following:
  1. Sample set order - Sample choices display according to the design order in the sample set.
  2. Fixed order - Sample choices display according to the order in the Samples list (Sample 1, Sample 2, etc.).


Options in the Groups Tab - Sort all or Sort n


Option Name  
Option Description 

Order


Identifies how many groups are in the question.  
Images can be added in the panelist Instructions. Hover over a group number and the cursor will change like this:   

Click and drag the choice to a different spot in the question. The value will not be updated when the choice is moved to a different order in the list. 

Text 
Edit the text to label the choices.  
Value 
Enter the number indicating the value that will be assigned to each concept in the test results. The values can be updated after results have been collected.  
Min
Set the minimum number of samples or concepts required in the bin before panelists can continue. Default is 0. This enables panelists to place none or all available samples or concepts into the bin.
Max Set the maximum number of samples or concepts allowed in the bin before panelists can continue. Default is 0. This enables panelists to place all the available samples or concepts into the bin.
Delete 
Click             to remove the choice from your question.     
+ Add Group
Click to add additional groups at the bottom of the list of your question.  
Reset values

Click to renumber the values in the   Value   column to be in the ascending order.  
This is helpful for choices that were manually moved around to ensure that the values reflect the final choice order.  

Options in the Groups Tab - Free sort


Option Name  
Option Description 

Allow panelists to name groups


Control whether panelists can name the groups:
  1. No group names - panelists cannot create group names.
  2. Require group names - panelists can create group names. Default selection.
Group all samples required
Control whether panelists are required to group all samples.

When allowing panelists to group a subset of samples, use the Pause feature on the same screen with the Free Sort question to enable panelists to resume sorting at another time. If the Pause is set up on a separate screen, use this feature in conjunction with the Move forward and backward through section feature.
Previously sorted samples can be re-sorted by panelists if they choose to.
  1. No - a subset of samples can be grouped.
  2. Yes - all samples must be grouped before advancing to another page. Default selection.

Analysis 

Sort/Sort n

Click the Results tab to access and choose from the following analysis options:  
  1. Graphs - Visual representation of the data. 
  2. Data - Raw data display is not available for Sort questions.
  3. Reports - Create new or view previously generated reports. The following reports are compatible with the Free s ort  question type:
    1. Standard report - Detailed information about crosstabulations, a Dissimilarity matrix ANOVA analysis and Multiple comparison tests for  > 3 samples.
      1. Crosstabulations  -   Shows the total number of times each choice box was selected.
      2. Percentage Crosstabulations  - Shows the crosstabulation of each choice as a percentage of the total number of boxes selected.
      3. Dissimilarity Matrix:      The count of how many times a sample is placed in a different group compared to other samples. The counts running diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner will always equal 0 because a sample cannot be grouped separate from itself.


        4. Information found in the Standard report will depend on the question setup of your Sort  question.

    2. Summary Report - Provides you with a more compact table of the results found in the standard report. 
    3. Raw data export - Choose from the Multivariate, Univariate, and Multivariate Columnar raw data export formats to suit your exporting needs.

Free Sort

Click the  Results  tab to access and choose from the following analysis options:  
  1. Graphs  - Visual representation of the Free sort data is not available . 
  2. Data  - Raw data display is not available for Free sort questions.
  1. Reports  - Create new or view previously generated reports. The following reports are compatible with the Free sort question type:
    1. Standard report  - Provides analysis for the Free Sort data. The analysis for Free Sort will include the following information:
      1. Number of evaluations -  The number of complete results. In our example there are 7 evaluations. 
      2. Samples -  Information about the samples in the test. In our example there are 10 samples.          
                
      3. Co-occurrence Matrix -  The Co-ocurrence Matrix provides the count of how many times a sample is grouped together with another sample. The counts running diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner will always equal N (number of complete evaluations) because a sample cannot be grouped separate from itself. 
             
      4. Dissimilarity Matrix -  The Dissimilarity Matrix shows the count of how many times a sample is placed in a different group compared to other samples. The counts running diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner will always equal 0 because a sample cannot be grouped separate from itself. 
                
      5. Label Count Table -  The analysis for Free Sorting will also include a Label Count Table, which provides the count of how many times a sample is placed in each group. This table is available only when the   Require group names  option is selected in the Options tab. 
        The samples are listed in the top row. The group labels, as specified by panelists, are listed in the ascending alphabetical order in the far left column.
        To eliminate duplicates caused by letter case, all the labels are converted and displayed in lowercase letters regardless of whether the panelists used uppercase or lowercase when defining group labels.
Misspelled group labels (fizzey vs. fizzy) and those spelled in a different way for the same term (vegetable vs. veggie) will be treated as unique labels, as seen in the image below:


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