Hello @four77,
When a category or answer choice is deleted from a question in Qualtrics, the associated data for that category is also removed from your dataset. If the question or choice is still in the trash, restoring it will also restore the associated data. However, if the question or choice has been permanently deleted, the associated data cannot be retrieved and will not appear in the dataset.
If you're seeing a "21" in your dataset, it could be due to a few reasons:
- If the deleted category was manually recoded to "21" before it was deleted, and the data was exported before the category was deleted, the "21" would appear in the dataset.
- If the deleted category was not manually recoded, but was the 21st choice in the question, it would have a default recode value of "21". If the data was exported before the category was deleted, the "21" would appear in the dataset.
- If the "21" is appearing in the dataset after the category was deleted, it could be a system or processing error.
It's important to note that once a category is deleted, it should not appear in the dataset, either as a valid or null value. If you're seeing unexpected values in your dataset, it's recommended to contact Qualtrics Support for further assistance.
Let me know if this helps.