A Continuous Sum question contains a series of linked text fields, but the entry is restricted to numberic values only (numbers). When respondents type into these fields, the system can display a running total at the bottom. You can also use validation to ensure that the total equals a certain value, for example you could ensure that all percentage values entered total 100%.
Continuous Sums are ideal when you want to calculate quantities, time or expenses within your survey. By adding a prefix and/or a suffix, the respondent can easily understand the format that you expect in each field.
Creating Continuous Sum Questions
To create your Continuous Sum question:
- Click Add Question on your survey.
- Type your question in the Question Text field.
- In the Question Type drop-down menu, select Continuous Sum.
- In the Answer Choices field, type the text that will be displayed on the left-hand side of each field.
- Scroll down to the Display Options section.
- In the Answer Prefix field, type the character you would like to display before the field.
- In the Answer Suffix field, type the character you would like to display after the field.
- Check the Display Total Sum checkbox to display a running total for all of the fields in the question.
- In the Total Row Label field, type any text that will appear before the running total if Display Total Sum is checked.
- Scoll down to the Validation Options section.
- Choose the Answer Format that you require: Whole Number or Decimal Number.
- Check the Require a Fixed Sum checkbox to ensure that the data in the fields adds up to a valid figure. (For example, when collecting percentages, your Fixed Sum would be 100, to ensure that the respondent's answers add up to 100 percent. When asking a respondent to enter all minutes in an hour, your Fixed Sum would be 60.)
- Click the green Add Question button to add the question to your survey.
Customising Continuous Sum Questions
When you build a Continuous Sum question, you can customise it with the following additional fields and options:
| Box Size |
Specify the width and height of the text entry field. |
| Add Comment field |
Adds a free text field underneath the question. |
| Require an Answer to this Question |
Forces the respondent to provide an answer before they can progress to the next page. |
| Question Size and Positioning |
Lets you control the size, positioning, appearance and numbering of your question. You can also set a default answer, and hide the question without deleting it. |