To create a Ranking question, simply select the “Ranking” question type and configure the required settings.
Once the desired configuration is applied, the question is ready for use.
For Ranking questions, it is possible to configure the minimum (MIN) and maximum (MAX) number of selections to be ranked. These values determine how many answer options the respondent must rank.
If an exact number of items must be ranked, the same value should be entered for both MIN and MAX. This ensures that respondents rank precisely the required number of options before proceeding.
If no MIN and MAX configuration is defined for a Ranking question, all standard answer options will be required to be ranked by default, excluding any Exclusive option.
For example, if a question contains 4 standard answer options and 1 Exclusive option, and no configuration is set:
- MIN = 4
- MAX = 4
This means all four standard answer options must be ranked. However, if the Exclusive option is selected, the requirement to rank the standard options will no longer apply.
In the raw data file, Ranking question results are structured by rank. The number of columns generated corresponds to the maximum number of ranks configured for the question. Each column represents a specific rank (e.g., Rank 1, Rank 2, etc.), indicating which answer option was assigned to that position by each respondent.
In results exports, Ranking questions are also displayed by rank, allowing analysis of responses at each ranking level.
If an Exclusive option is selected, it is always recorded as Rank 1.
Ranking questions support the following additional configurations:
- Exclusive and Other toggles for answer options
- Randomization of answer options
- Display conditions applied to individual answer options
These settings provide flexibility in both questionnaire design and data analysis.
Important points to remember:
- Exclusive Option Behavior
If an Exclusive option is included in the answer list, selecting it overrides the configured MIN and MAX rank settings. The respondent will be able to proceed after selecting only the Exclusive option.
- “Other” Option Behavior
If an answer option includes the “Other” toggle, respondents will be required to provide a specification when selecting it.
However, ranking remains non-dynamic:
- If the question includes 4 standard options + 1 “Other” option and MIN = 5, the respondent must rank all options, including “Other,” and provide a text entry.
- If MAX = 4, the respondent may rank any 4 options, whether from the standard list or including “Other.”
- Display Logic and Configuration
Answer-level Display Logic can be applied to Ranking questions.
When display conditions are used, it is recommended to leave MIN and MAX configurations empty, as the number of visible answer options may vary per respondent and cannot be predicted in advance.
- Results Splits
Ranking question types cannot be used as a split variable in results.