← Surveys & questionnaires

Create a survey: the question types in DataLion

In DataLion, you create the questionnaire and the analysis in a single platform. When you publish, the responses are automatically turned into a fully labelled dataset with a codebook – more on this under From survey to live dashboard. This article shows how to build the questionnaire and choose the right question type.

Opening the survey editor

Create a new survey and open the survey editor. The editor has a three-column layout:

  • Left: the structure of your survey – pages and questions in their order.
  • Centre: the currently selected question with its question text and answer options.
  • Right: the question settings and the palette of question types.

If you would rather not start from an empty survey, you can have a complete draft generated for you with “Create survey with AI” – see Create and optimize a survey with AI.

Adding a question and choosing the question type

Add a new question and choose the right question type from the palette. Each question type comes with its own validation and – importantly for the later analysis – the automatically correct analysis logic.

The question types at a glance

DataLion offers over 20 question types for professional market research:

Choice questions

  • Single choice – exactly one answer
  • Multiple choice – several answers at once
  • Dropdown – selection from a drop-down list
  • Image choice – answer options as images

Scales and matrices

  • Rating scale and NPS (Net Promoter Score)
  • Slider – a value on a slider control
  • Likert matrix (single and multiple choice) for scale batteries
  • Emoji scale

Special question types

  • Ranking – put answers into an order
  • Point allocation (constant sum) – distribute a budget across options

Input fields

  • Open text, number and date
  • Contact fields and consent

Variable code, mandatory field and validation

Every question has a variable code (e.g. gender or nps_score). This code later becomes the column name in the dataset – so assign it deliberately and descriptively. For ongoing trackers, keep the codes stable across all waves so that the data remains comparable.

For each question you also define:

  • whether the question is a mandatory question,
  • which validation applies (depending on the question type),
  • whether the answer options are randomized to avoid order effects.

Pages and order

Structure longer questionnaires with page breaks and reorder questions via drag & drop. Which question appears next can additionally be controlled with conditions – see Survey logic: setting up skip and display logic.

Tip: Before you publish, check the survey in the preview. Only when you publish are the dataset, codebook and results dashboard created.