Data preparation

Top and bottom boxes: computed before you ask

DataLion builds top-box, top-2, top-3 and the mirrored bottom scores for every scale question, automatically. Nothing to set up — you just click which box appears in your chart, table and export.

A “satisfaction” scale question as a table in DataLion

DataLion computes all six boxes for every scale question automatically: top-box, top-2, top-3, bottom-box, bottom-2 and bottom-3. There is nothing to define and no formula to write — one click picks which box appears in your chart, table and export. Because nothing is defined, every wave computes identically.

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Every top and bottom box is already there

As soon as a question is an ordered scale, DataLion builds top-box, top-2 and top-3 plus the mirrored bottom-box, bottom-2 and bottom-3 in a single pass — for every scale question in the dataset, with nothing for you to set up.

No code, no formula, no net row anyone has to configure per question. The scores are waiting before you first ask for them, together with their case numbers.

  • Top-box, top-2 and top-3 for the upper end of the scale
  • Bottom-box, bottom-2 and bottom-3 for the lower end
  • Case numbers computed alongside each box
  • Applies to every scale question — no setup
A DataLion table with banner columns per site

Switch, don’t recompute

The chart menu has a Top boxes entry: pick top-box, top-2, top-3, bottom-box, bottom-2, bottom-3 — or the full distribution. The table or chart updates immediately, with no recomputation and no second variable.

So nobody has to guess in the report, DataLion appends the chosen box to the title (“Satisfaction (Top 2 Box)”) and carries it into the header of the Excel export. You can set a project-wide default box, and if your scale runs the other way because 1 is the best value, you reverse the direction once for the whole project.

  • Switch the box per chart and table with one click
  • Chosen box shown in the chart title and Excel export
  • Project-wide default box
  • Scale direction reversible project-wide — raw data untouched

What is never defined can never drift

Because the boxes come out of the scale itself rather than out of a definition, every wave computes identically. There is no formula to forget when wave two is set up, and no colleague who draws “top-2” differently than you do.

The same holds across segments, sites and reports: the crosstab shows the same box as the dashboard and the PowerPoint. That keeps time series in tracking studies clean — right on the dataset, with no export to SPSS or Excel.

  • Identical computation in every wave — without setup
  • Same values in table, dashboard and export
  • Clean time series for tracking studies

Custom net rows for anything beyond the boxes

Some nets are not a scale top but a substantive grouping: “all premium brands”, “digital vs. in-store channels”, a net on a different base. You add those in the codebook as their own category with a column and a condition — they then appear as an extra row in the table.

And when a metric needs to be computed rather than grouped — NPS, a top-box index across several questions, a sum score — you build it as a custom KPI in SQL, right in the codebook.

  • Custom nets as their own codebook category
  • Nets on a different base are possible
  • Computed metrics such as NPS via SQL

See DataLion with your own data

Start free with your own raw data. Or book a personal demo of the path to a finished dashboard.

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What users say about DataLion

  • via G2
    Very professional company, attentive to the customer needs, provider of a great software and service.
    Generoso M. · CRM Analyst, Automotive
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    The contacts at DataLion are very committed. If you have problems, you can count on help. DataLion reacts quickly to requests for new functions.
    Robert Q. · Managing Director
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    User-friendliness, especially for market research topics. Structured backend with many customization options.
    Verified user · Market Research
  • via G2
    The embedding function allows us to generate insights of our data for our audience and customers by far less than half of the usual time needed before.
    Verified user · Leisure, Travel & Tourism
Read all 16 reviews on G2 →
We now work much more efficiently, giving us more time to take care of the derivations and insights from the data for the customers.
Jens Falkenau, Vice President of Market Research · Nielsen Sports
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More data preparation

Common questions about net and top-box scores

Do I have to set up top-box scores in DataLion?
No. DataLion computes all six boxes for every scale question automatically — top-box, top-2, top-3, bottom-box, bottom-2 and bottom-3. There is no definition, no formula and no code involved; you only click which box is displayed.
Which boxes does DataLion compute?
Top-box, top-2 and top-3 for the upper end of the scale, plus bottom-box, bottom-2 and bottom-3 for the lower end — each with its case number. The chart menu’s “Top boxes” entry switches between them and the full distribution.
Do top-box scores stay the same across multiple waves?
Yes, and without any effort on your side: the boxes come out of the scale itself, not out of a definition that could drift when the next wave is set up. The same question yields the same top-2 box in every wave.
What if 1 is the best value on my scale?
Then you reverse the scale direction once for the whole project: DataLion treats the lowest values as the top box and the highest as the bottom box from then on. The raw data stays untouched.
Do I need SPSS or Excel for top-box scores?
No. The boxes are computed on the dataset inside DataLion — in tables, crosstabs and charts — and the chosen box travels with your Excel and PowerPoint exports.

Top-box scores without building them

Try DataLion free: upload scale data and top-box, top-2, top-3 and the bottom scores are already there — one click to switch, identical in every wave. Or book a demo.