Variable Type

Naming of variables properly is VERY important because it has major implications behind the scenes. In addition to naming a variable, GideonSoft surveys provide a way to connect variables together in a logical way, called Variable type. A best practice is to use the Survey name as the type, as it can help make clear the connection or difference between data points. Variable names and types are important for administrators and researchers, and can be used in various combinations for flexibility and powerful insights.

An example to help illustrate:

A candidate will be participating in 3 different events (e.g. 5k Run, Strength Test, and Obstacle Course) and will be assessed on his effort by multiple assessors. You can set up 3 surveys for the assessors to record their evaluations of the candidate through the different events. Each survey can include a question about the candidate’s effort, and could be structured like so…

Survey 1: 5K Run

Question prompt (label) = On a scale of 1 to 10, how much effort did the person exhibit?

Variable name = PHYS_EVENT_00_EFFORT

Variable type = 5k Run

Survey 2: Strength Test

Question prompt (label) = On a scale of 1 to 10, how much effort did the person exhibit?

Variable name = PHYS_EVENT_00_EFFORT

Variable type = Strength Test

Survey 3: Obstacle Course

Question prompt (label) = On a scale of 1 to 10, how much effort did the person exhibit?

Variable name = PHYS_EVENT_00_EFFORT

Variable type = Obstacle Course

By using this approach, it’s now possible to easily determine…

• the candidate’s effort across all events,
• the candidate’s effort within each event,
• or an average of the candidate’s effort in an event that takes place multiple times throughout a course,
• … as well as answers to many other questions.

Note:

Observations automatically use “Behavior Observations – “ and the Event name as the variable type.

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Version(s): 18.2 and later