Protobi has a feature to condense multiple columns of text open-end data into a single distribution. This is useful when the survey provided multiple text-boxes to enter open-ends for one question, or the survey asked a series of open-end questions and you would like to analyze the responses together. 

For example, the question below asks about three different products.  For analysis we'd like to combine these three open-ends into one single list.


To condense the values, group the three questions under one parent qV. Press the edit icon for the group and select "Transform..." from the context menu to bring up the transform dialog:


The text responses are now condensed into a single distribution.   


This is a multi-value element, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. For instance, people who chose "Experience" also entered other reasons:


Counting unique respondents vs unique responses

By default the every element uses the number of respondents as the denominator for frequencies. In a condensed open-end group, one respondent likely has more than one response so frequencies will sum to >100%

In the JSON editor you can add an attribute "unique" and set it to false to show percent out of unique responses instead. This will result in a distribution that sums to 100%.

Below, Q22 is showing percent out of unique responses. Q22_copy shows the default which is percent out of unique respondents. 

If we filter the view on one respondent, you can see in Q22 N is the number of response values. In Q22_copy we count unique respondents, so Protobi recognizes the different responses are from one respondent and N is 1. 

Remove the transform

To undo a transform, go to the group's context menu and select "Expand/collapse." Then, bring up the transform dialog and select "None." The group should return to its original state.


Video tutorial

Condense multiple text columns

[insert-question 480315]


Transform dialog