Note
Note questions display read-only text or media to provide information or instructions in your survey.
The note question type in XLSForms and rtSurvey is used to display read-only text or media to the survey respondent. It’s not a question that requires an answer, but rather a way to provide information, instructions, or context within the survey.
Basic XLSForm Specification
| type | name | label |
|---|---|---|
| note | info_text | This survey is about your reading habits. |
For more details on the basic note question type, see the XLSForm specification.
Uses
Note questions are commonly used for:
- Providing instructions or context for upcoming questions
- Displaying calculated results or summaries
- Showing images or other media
- Separating sections of a survey
- Giving feedback based on previous responses
Best Practices
- Keep note text concise and clear to maintain respondent engagement.
- Use formatting (bold, italics) to emphasize important information.
- Consider using media (images, audio) to enhance understanding when appropriate.
- Use notes sparingly to avoid cluttering the survey.
Example Usage
Here’s an example of how you might use note questions in a survey:
| type | name | label |
|---|---|---|
| note | intro | Welcome to our reading habits survey. We’ll ask about your preferences and reading frequency. |
| … | … | … |
| calculate | books_per_month | ${fiction_books} + ${non_fiction_books} |
| note | reading_summary | You read approximately ${books_per_month} books per month. |
In this example, we use notes to introduce the survey and provide a summary of calculated results.
rtSurvey Extensions
While the basic XLSForm specification for note questions is straightforward, rtSurvey may offer additional features or customizations:
- Rich text formatting
- Support for embedded media (images, audio, video)
- Dynamic content based on previous responses
- Custom styling options
(Note: The specific extensions available in rtSurvey for note questions would need to be confirmed and detailed here.)
Advanced Usage
Conditional Display
You can use relevance expressions to show notes conditionally:
| type | name | label | relevant |
|---|---|---|---|
| note | high_reader_note | You’re an avid reader! | ${books_per_month} > 5 |
Including Calculations
Notes can include calculations to provide dynamic feedback:
| type | name | label |
|---|---|---|
| note | reading_time | Based on your responses, you spend approximately ${books_per_month * 5} hours reading each month. |
Limitations
- Notes do not collect data, so they should not be used when you need to gather information from respondents.
- Overuse of notes can make a survey feel cluttered or overly long.
- Some advanced formatting or media options may not be supported on all devices or platforms.