Each questionnaire metadata element entered into Archivist must have a unique label as part of its entry. Generally, this is made up of a prefix, which refers to the type of element (loop, statement, etc) and a question reference, which is made up from the question number in the questionnaire. Exceptions to this are outlined below.
The question reference part of the label may include underscores between the parts of the question number, or the question reference may be collapsed. See ‘Question ref collapsed?’ column in the tables below for guidance as to when to collapse the question reference.
Sequences
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
None | N/A | Sequences do not have a constructed reference. The sequence label is the exact text of the sequence as found in the questionnaire. Capitalisation, punctuation and spacing should be included exactly as found in the questionnaire. Underlining, bold and italics are not included.
| SECTION G: YOUR DIET Your feelings in the past week Section 1 Child’s Behaviour DEVELOPMENT. 1: ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE |
Loops
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
l_ | Yes | Loop labels reference the first construct contained in the loop e.g. a question or a sequence. If the label references a question, the question numbering is collapsed i.e. underscores are not input between the components that make up the question reference portion of the label.
| l_qF3b l_friends |
Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the loop label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| l_qB1 l_s1q1 l_qhealth1 |
Conditions
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
c_ | Yes | Conditions are labelled after the question that gives rise to the condition. This is often, but not always, the question immediately before the condition in the questionnaire. Another way to identify the question reference is that it is the first question in the condition logic (if there is any). The question reference in the label is collapsed i.e. underscores are not input between the components that make up the question reference portion of the label. If the condition arises from more than one question, the label is numbered from the first question that creates the condition (i.e. the first question in the condition logic, if there is any). If there is no question to reference for the condition, then the condition label uses the first question inside the condition.
| c_qG3a c_q14c c_q11d |
Labels when one question generates multiple conditions: If there is more than one condition arising from a question, lower case roman numerals, preceded by an underscore, are added to the end of the condition labels (see Typical examples column).
| c_qB11a_i c_qB11a_ii |
Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the condition label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| c_qB1 c_s1q6 c_health_q1 One question generates multiple conditions: c_s1q2_i c_s1q2_ii |
| c_sACCSTOCKi c_sPROMO |
Statements
Prefix | Question ref collapsed? | Construction Notes | Typical Examples |
s_ | Yes | Statements may be relevant to an entire questionnaire (e.g. part of a questionnaire’s introductory or concluding material), a sequence or a question. Statement labels are numbered in relation to what the statement refers to. Introductory (intro), concluding (outro) and sequence-related statements always have a lower case roman numeral at the end of the statement label, even if there is only one statement associated with the introductory, concluding or sequence material (see examples).
| s_intro_i s_outro_i s_sectionB_i (sequence) s_socialenvironment_i (sequence) |
Labels for a single statement associated with a question only reference the question number. Roman numerals are added to the end of question-related statements if there is more than one statement associated with the question.
| Single statement for a question: s_qG3a Multiple statements for a question: s_q18_i (1st statement for q 18) s_q18_ii (2nd statement for q 18) |
Label construction when question numbers repeat within questionnaire: Some questionnaires repeat question numbering from section to section. In this case, a section identifier needs to be added to the statement label. Use the section letter if there is one. If the section identifier is numeric, add ‘s’ before the section number and ‘q’ before the question number. If the section identifier contains text only, then the label is made up of the section name (all lower case and words run together) followed by an underscore and the question reference. Further guidance is available here.
| s_qB1 s_s1q3 s_qhealth1 Multiple statements for a question: s_s2q18_i (1st statement for q 2.18) s_s2q18_ii (2nd statement for q 2.18) |