How can you combine the response frequency data from multiple choice items (Likert scale)? | XM Community
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I have a survey with 30 questions covering 6 different topic areas. Each question uses a 5 point Likert scale. I want to be able to combine the responses from all items within a topic (5 different questions) to get an overall topic (or index) score, but I can't figure out how to make it work in Research Core.



For example if Topic 1 has questions 1 & 2 and for Q1, 6 people selected Option 1, and for Q2 8 people selection Option 1, I want my Topic1, Option 1 score to be 14.



Does anyone know how to make this work?
Using math operations store result in embedded variables and you can use these variables in report.



Seems like you just want to add up corresponding frequencies ( say frequencies of q1 + frequencies of q2 for topic1).
Thanks for helping @bansalpeeyush29 . You are correct that what I want to do is add up the frequencies for each response option on Q1 + Q2. Being very new to qualtrics, though, I don't know the syntax for capturing the frequency count for each option in a question. When I try to create an embedded data element it only lets me pipe in the text for the various response options, not the frequency of selection in my data set.



I'm guessing this is much easier than it feels like to me, but as a new user with no knowledge of JS, there doesn't appear to be a simple tool in the product to support this.
in reports when you use Data table and display choice counts there is option at bottom for total row or column choice counts.
Hey @TimB! Check out this page about Setting Up Scoring Categories, which may be helpful! If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to our Support Team!
> @TimB said:

> Thanks for helping @bansalpeeyush29 . You are correct that what I want to do is add up the frequencies for each response option on Q1 + Q2. Being very new to qualtrics, though, I don't know the syntax for capturing the frequency count for each option in a question. When I try to create an embedded data element it only lets me pipe in the text for the various response options, not the frequency of selection in my data set.

>

> I'm guessing this is much easier than it feels like to me, but as a new user with no knowledge of JS, there doesn't appear to be a simple tool in the product to support this.



Hey @TimB if you just want the count you can use the quotas function of the qualtrics to get total responses for each option till that point in time just set the quota count equal to the total number of respondents you expect

here is the idea in more detail

1)!

in quota condition select the question and the options you need to count if you want count of each option individually you would have to set individual quotas which might be a little tiresome

and select action as none for when the quota has been filled

2)!

now you can use the count of the people who have selected a specific option anywhere in the survey flow(for the latest count pipe the data in embedded data after the question the count is for)



Hope this helps 😀
@NiC_Ugam - This is very helpful thanks. I've not used the quota function before, so it's good to learn something new. I think this may actually be my best bet for getting what I'm looking for out of Qualtrics. There's probably a way to use math functions and embedded data as the original response suggested, but that route is fairly complex. And the scoring capability seems to just add up the point values of each response selected to a given question and I can't see a way to get it to provide frequency of response option selection. So, it looks like it may either be using quotas or exporting the data and doing the analysis in Excel.



I appreciate the help!
I am having this same problem and cant seem to get the quotas right, I am sure I am missing something.

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