The Surviewer Survey Questions Manager located on the upper left hand side of the Crosstab Builder page allows you to make changes to survey data syntax, create new variables by combining two or more variables, and create derived statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation) from a survey variable.

Large surveys may make it difficult to locate specific variables. In the area right above the questionnaire box in the Survey Questions Manager you will find the Search Variable box. Typing in this box will automatically search the survey for matching strings once you have reached 3 characters. Continue typing to narrow down the variables listed in the search results until the correct variable is located.

You can edit variable names to increase readability and meaning individually or in bulk. Variables can also be sorted, by drag and drop, into new or existing folders for ease of accessibility.

To edit an individual variable, locate the variable in the questionnaire and right click to open the variable options menu. Here you will have the option to rename or remove the variable. Statistical information about the variable can also be found by selecting view details, as well as the ability to create new folders. The edit option in the variable options menu will only be available if it is a user created variable and allows you to edit the variable formula.

To change variable words in bulk, click the Find & Replace icon located in the upper right hand corner of the Survey Questions Manager box. Enter the string to be replaced and the replacement text. Clicking the replace button will change every instance of the string in the full questionnaire. NOTE: This operation cannot be undone.

Custom variables allow you to group survey data in a way more suited to your reporting needs. For instance, if a survey asked for the age of the respondents as; Younger than 19, 20-40, 41-64, & 65+ but you only need two age categories; Under 40 and Over 40. Combining the age data into two variables will make it easier to add to and display in your crosstab report.

There are two ways to create a custom variable in Surviewer. You can either begin typing in the Add new variable box or click the edit icon to open the add new variable popup dialog box.

As you type in the add new variable box or popup box, Surviewer will search for variables that match the string and display a window showing a list of matching variables. When you locate the variable you wish to use, select it to add it's questionnaire code the new variable string.

Additional variables can be added to the new variable string by adding a + sign and a space. Begin typing after the space and Surviewer will search for the next variable you wish to add to the new variable string.

When all variables have been added to the new variable string a title (name) for the new custom variable can be added. If using the add new variable box, type a ; followed by the name for the new variable. If you are using the add new variable popup box, type the name for the new variable into the title box and click done. Click the save icon to create your new variable.

The new custom variable will be added to the end of the questionnaire and is ready to be used in your crosstabs.

If you need to make changes to a custom variable. First locate it in the questionnaire box. Right click on the custom variable to open the variable options menu, and select edit. The custom variable details box will open. You can edit the title and definition of the custom variable. When your changes are complete, click save and the custom variable will be updated in the questionnaire list.

Custom derived statistics variables allow you create variables with mean, median, and standard deviations for use in your crosstabs and reports. To create a custom derived variable, click the create statistics variable icon.

The create custom derived statistics variable dialog box will open.  Enter a title and code for the new custom variable. Select the variable from the drop down list you wish to create a derived statistic for. Typing in the choose variable box will filter the results to make it easier to locate the correct variable. Once the variable is selected, click the mean, median, or standard deviation radio button. Clicking the Assign Values checkbox will allow you to add custom values for each variable in the custom derived statistic. Click save to create the new custom variable.

The new custom derived statistics variable will be added to the end of the questionnaire and is ready to be used in your crosstabs.