How to prepare respondent data for targeting, routing and reporting

Respondent data should be prepared before distribution if you want to target respondents, create different question paths, filter results or create subgroup reports.

Respondent data can include fields such as:

• department
• country
• location
• team
• manager group
• customer segment
• course type
• role
• language
• employment group or other internal categories

Recommended workflow:

1. Decide what the data will be used for
   • Common uses are targeting, routing, filtering, subgroup reporting, reminders and comparisons.
2. Use clear field names
   • Choose field names that are easy to understand and reuse, such as Country, Department, Location or Manager Group.
3. Standardise values
   • Keep values consistent. For example, use either “Germany” or “DE,” but not both.
4. Avoid unnecessary detail
   • Do not include fields that are not needed. Too much detail can make reports harder to manage
5. Check small groups
   • If respondent data will be used for filtered reports, check whether some groups are too small to report safely.
6. Test routing and filters
   • Use test respondents to confirm that routing works correctly and that reports show the expected groups.
7. Keep fields consistent across waves
   • If you want to compare results over time, use the same respondent data fields and value structure in future waves.

Related articles:

• How to use Routing with Respondent Data for routing based on respondent fields
• How to use Hidden Identity for identity and threshold considerations
• How to use Respondent Data
• How to use Respondent Data Field Manager
• How to Validate your Respondent Data using Questions
• How to use Filters
• How to use Cross-Tabulation
• How to create a new Value Filter