Task Type: Fill the Blanks

Fill the Blanks is a Task Type that displays a form or response template to be completed. Multiple questions or blanks can be placed on a single page. The type of blank determines the type of input required by the participant.

Types of Blanks

When inserting a blank (i.e. adding a question), you will be prompted to select the type of blank from a menu as shown below:

• Plain Text: Open-ended text response of a word, phrase or paragraph. Set the input size after it is inserted.
• Poll: Provide a preset list of options. Multiple selections can be permitted.
• Photos: Request the submission of one or more photos.
• Scale: Provide a preset list of items to rate. Select a scale size and define its labels.
• Scale (Allocation): Provide a preset list of items to receive an allocation. Define a total allocation limit.

Formatting Options

It is important to note that the Plain Text and Poll blanks can appear inline with text to create a narrative if that is desired:

All blank types can be formatted more like a form or mini-survey as shown below:

Common Options

In the Response Template area, you can add a blank either by pressing Insert Blank OR you can highlight any text you've typed and press Convert to Blank. 

You must first define a Question, or blank label that will clearly identify the responses in Transcripts. As such, we recommend using a label with some sort of context or directly copying the question verbiage (instead of using generic labels like Q1, Q2, Q3, etc.).

Once a blank has been added, you can select it again to configure how it should appear. Not all options will appear for all blank types. The options include:

• Should the blank Show question or some other Custom label?
• Should the blank appear Inline with text, on a Separate Line, or be Multiple Lines in length?
• The WIDTH of the blank (if it is not Inline with text)

If setup as a Required Task, at least one blank must be completed by the participant in order to proceed, even if all blanks are configured as optional. Blanks can be individually set as required and custom limits can also be specified.

Plain Text Blank Type

Select the Plain Text blank type to capture a single word, a phrase or a paragraph. You can choose to enforce minimum and maximum character limits and configure if the blank is required.

Poll Blank Type

Select the Poll blank type to ask single choice or multiple-choice questions. Poll choices defined individually or pasted in bulk. The choices can also be randomized with desired choices locked in place. 

Each poll choice can be configured to add or remove the respondent from one or more Basic Segments. 

Each poll blank will also produce Charts for analysis in the response summary area.

Photos Blank Type

Select the Photos blank type to have participants upload photos. You can then control your minimum and maximum photo requirements with the Limit number of photos option. You can also configure if the blank is required.

If you want to require that participants upload their own photo, you can choose to disable participants access to our photo library by disabling the Allow stock photo search.

Scale Blank Type

Select the Scale blank type to define one or more items to be rated on a sliding scale. As done for poll choices, items to be rated can be randomized with select items locked into position.

• Select the desired rating scale size (e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 or 11). All scales start at 1 except for the 11-point scale starts at 0 and goes to 10.
• Define the rating scale labels or choose from the available presets: Agreement, Awareness, Consideration, Familiarity, Frequency, Importance, Likelihood, Quality and Satisfaction.
• If Answer Required is disabled, a partial response will be permitted.

Sample scale being completed:

Each scale blank will produce Charts for analysis in the response summary area.

Scale (Allocation) Blank Type

Select the Scale (Allocation) blank to have participants to allocate a limited quantity (e.g. % $ €) across a list of items. Again, these items can be randomized with select items locked into position.

Allocations scales default to a percentage value and will require participants to allocate all 100%. You can select a Custom preset to change the minimum and maximum allocation per item. You will also be able to define a prefix (e.g. $) and suffix (e.g. /month) for the value being allocated.

Sample allocation scale being completed:

Each allocation scale blank will produce Charts for analysis in the response summary area.

For more information on how you can leverage the Fill the Blanks Task type within your research, make sure to check out our Spotlight: Fill the Blanks blog article!